Fire Emblem Fates: The Birthright Aftermath
by TheGracefulGodot
Summary: Dyru and his birthright family managed to destroy King Garon once and for all, and free the land of the Mythical Kingdoms from tyranny. But after the war, what happened to them? Where are the heroes now? Dive into this story, and learn that the Birthright Route may not exactly be over just yet...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone!**

 **I'm sorry that I've been coming on and off, I've been a very busy bee, but I promise that you will love what I have in store for you once I get this uploaded!**

 **To begin, I will be finishing the Boondocks series, it's just been awhile since I've been able to work on it due to circumstances. Secondly, this particular story is a little different. It takes place after clearing the Birthright Route, but the story only tells of tales from the** _characters I cleared_ _ **my**_ _game with_ **. In other words, the chapter titles that depict the names of the characters are basically what the chapters are going to be about! I thought about writing this because the Fire Emblem series inspired me with this game, since it was my first ever Fire Emblem game to play, so I figured I could walk into this door and give birth to personalities that were, sad to say, very lacking in most of the Birthright Characters. Either way, the chapter below is about Dyru (my avatar), Kana, and Asugi, so to clear any confusion, it will take place behind both Dyru and Kana in this circumstance. I REALLY hope you give this a chance because though I wrote it a long while ago, I wanted to see what other people think! Please, enjoy yourselves! As usual, you will find the other version of this story on my DeviantART account (SuspenseWriter), and what makes this edition special is the music I have placed within the chapter to enhance the surroundings described in the situations ^^ To get this edition, all you have to do is send me a private message! Go hard on me, tell me what you think!**

Dyru Kana Asugi

1 Day After Coronation

Location: Desert of Hope (Hoshido's 2nd Fort)

A coronation's night can be filled with those who drink for leisure down to dancers who never had time to do such things before. For the first time ever, witnessing my true family letting loose was one of my happier feelings than I could ever hope for. Takumi, despite his stern and arrogant nature, could move his feet faster than a Wind Tribe dancer with heels on! As for Sakura whom was always the shyest of our family, she actually took a moment to drink mead with Angie before the two actually started dancing together! It was a wonderful feeling to come back home to Hoshidan land after all of the chaos that ensued in Nohrian territory. It was shortly after Ryoma's coronation ceremony that we had started such a much-needed and arousing party celebration. Though for some of us, it was hardly a celebration. Silas failed to attend the party as well as Saizo, though nobody could really blame them. In this bloody war, they lost people who were dearest to them than life itself, in fact I was certain that they would do anything they could to take their place so they would no longer have to suffer. Because of their sacrifices, King Ryoma had his men prepare statues of the fallen to be presented at the Dragon Temple next to Lilith's Shrine where she used to reside before her life was taken as well. In addition to the construction, Ryoma also issued a 7-day period where the Hoshidan Army were to spend their final moments together before they wished to go their separate ways. Whether they wished to stay in the forts or travel together was of their own accord, it was completely up to them.

Hana and I were planning to travel west into Nohrian territory so we could spend time with the other side of my family. With Angie by our side, this would be a possible mission so the Nohrians we encounter suddenly don't turn on us despite the peace treaty. However, in the beginning, Hana was very reluctant in going due to the fact that she was to stand by Lady Sakura's side. After some consideration when speaking to the council and talking to me, Hana then decided it would be best to part ways from Sakura since Ryoma and Takumi were now able to protect her. Though Hana was relieved of her duties as a retainer, Sakura told her she was always going to be her best friend no matter what happened between them. We both decided it would be best to leave for Nohr after the 7-Day period had come to an end, so packing at the Dragon Temple was a necessity.

Despite the war ending, the country continues to thrive in its never-ending culture, so we all still had our jobs to do. Hana was to keep guard at the Dragon Temple with Silas and the others, while Kana and I were to take a shipment of rice and fish to the Desert of Hope. It was hard to find any lakes or fresh grass to grow grain and catch fish, so the two of us decided to take the job together. Fortunately for us, the desert wasn't too harsh. The Wind Tribe's village was nearby, hence all of the windmills in the area rotating altogether. The winds that were breezing through our hair were cool enough to keep the sweat away from our brow, relaxing us in a way that we were almost reaching a state of nirvana. On our carriage through the desert trail were the two of us looking about the land we had once fought together in when we faced the tribe leader. The sun was evidently sitting above us with only a circle of blue surrounding it; while the rest surrounding us was a light brown thick cloud. It was something you would see as cooling fog only in sand form: everything beyond our limited eyesight was veiled in a blanket of dust.

"Papa," Kana had spoken, "You never did tell me the story about your eye patch." The horses were trotting through the sand as the carriage continued to move in their direction, holding the reins to keep them under control.

"I'm not sure you're old enough to hear about that story Kana," I replied, "Though you've…regrettably seen enough bloodshed to last multiple living souls, I just can't stop thinking about how you are still my little girl." She frowned at my words, looking down into the sand as it kicked up a bit.

"You still…think I'm a little girl?" she asked in a sad tone. I suddenly realized my words of ignorance when I thought about everything we went through together. Our small samurai family took down a possessed man who wanted to rid more than just the Hoshidan world, and in such a battle, she made me proud to be her father.

"W-Well," I stuttered, "You will always be my little girl Kana, but after all the chaos we've seen, I can say you are more than that: not many children your age would ever take up a sword just to protect those they love." I placed my hand on hers and smiled. "No…Kana, you're a strong, vibrant, and elegantly beautiful woman. You're a princess with gentle and kind values that no other could ever hope to have. With such an innocent heart, you have more in you than even your parents could ever possess." My little angel couldn't help but smile at me when I spoke such words.

"Thank you Papa…," she said, "I still keep the ring you gave me around my neck. I held it dear to me every time I had to…swing my blades."

"Have you ever tried to put it on yet?" I asked, "You've grown so fast in this realm that I forget the time as it passes."

"Unfortunately I can't put it on my ring finger yet," she answered, "My fingers are still too small for it to fit…" She then made a pouty face, one of the cutest faces I had ever seen. I couldn't help but laugh as she started talking again. "I just wish I could grow faster so I could put it on!"

"One day Kana, you will be able to wear such a ring," I told her, "But in all honesty, whether you wear it or not, it will always symbolize how much your mother and I truly love you, not just as a princess, but as our beautiful daughter." It was then that she reached up to my cheek and gave me a kiss, smiling and holding my arm tight.

"I love you Papa," she said, "Nobody will ever take you or Mama away from me…" From here, it was silent. I could only hold my daughter ever so close as we continued to ride into the sand haven that thicken. It was quiet, nothing but horses snorting as our carriage continued to roll on. After a while…I finally started to speak.

"When I was in Nohr, I was training with Xander and his colleague Baskin. Before I knew much about combat, Leo and the others helped me learn swinging motions by going through rigorous training. We were on the grounds with Hans when we were suddenly attacked by this man. We couldn't see him, but he brought a brigade of black figures planning to take the castle itself. At that point, Garon had issued an all-out attack on them in order to protect me. Without thinking I picked up a sword from a fallen comrade and aided in the defense of Nohr. Before the battle was over, Baskin had fallen from the hands of this man who took one swing at my head. I was paralyzed…I didn't…I didn't know what to do. It was my first time in combat…and though Xander knew this, he managed to pick me up and saddle me on his horse before the man could kill me. However, he was able to graze my left eye before we could get away. At that point, Arthur had fired an arrow into his head, and the man fell into the abyss…" Kana gazed upon me in wonder as I spoke these words. "The patch I embrace upon my left eye covers the wound I had received from this man…and it is a constant reminder of how close I was to losing my life. I was lucky he was only to get that eye…and not both…or perhaps my head…"

"Papa…"

"If I had died that day, you would never have been born, and Hana and I would've never met…" Kana continued to rest her head on the inside of my arm as I held her hand tightly.

"…I'll never let anyone touch you ever again Papa," she suddenly vowed, "If you and Mama were out of my life this ring would be saturated in the blood of whom took you away from me…"

"Don't say such things Kana," I told her, "I appreciate the thought of you caring about us in such a way, but taking a life has a serious consequence. It is precious just like ours, and we only do to those who abuse such powers to get what they want. By now, after you have vowed to fight by our side, you should know of this." She nodded apologetically, closing her eyes as we continued to ride on. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. "Kana, you didn't just agree to come with me to help these villagers to see someone, did you?" She was silent for a small moment.

"I do want to help them Papa," she answered, "But…I also wanted to see someone special to me…someone who promised me a game of hide-and-seek when we got there." In an instant, I knew who she was talking about.

"So Saizo's son will be there too huh?" I questioned, "I wonder how he's doing. He's probably taking it hard since Saizo refuses to leave the Dragon Temple."

"We don't really talk much about his father unless he's in his down time," Kana answered, "He still thinks about that day when they met face-to-face for the first time in a long while."

"You remember don't you?" I asked, "The man that had a contract out for someone's blood that he refused to sign for."

"I'm glad to see you think that Asugi's better than that," she said with a smile, "He's…gentle…kind…eats a lot sweets." She suddenly giggled. "I think that's why he's so sweet to everyone…because his stomach is full of sweets."

"He doesn't use any…petty talk to woo you does he?" I had to ask this question: I wasn't so sure about the idea of Kana being courted by any man for that matter, especially considering her age.

"Of course not!" she answered, "He's just being nice to me Papa! He wouldn't do something like that with me. He knows of my position because of you." She suddenly looked off into the distance. "Even if he did…it would…actually make me feel likeable you know?"

"Just so you know Kana," I said with a smile, "Any man would be lucky to have you in their arms…even Asugi."

"S-So…you don't…actually mind?" Her face was blushing harder as she spoke such words.

"When you're a little older Kana," I responded, "And I mean those words. You're still very young."

"I understand Papa," she said with a nod as she suddenly stood up, "H-Hey! There it is! The Desert of Hope!" When the carriage made way through the tall gorge we knew well, there were villagers trotting down the sandy slope waving at us in happiness. We exchanged a few friendly waves and continued trotting up the slope until our vision witnessed a wondrous site. Amid the sands was a chasm that stretched across the fort like a lightning bolt from the thunder god's hammer; three giant wooden boards carved from the biggest willow tree in the west used as a bridge to cross to the other side of the placement. The Desert of Hope was known for its famous arena battles that took place in a coliseum our soldiers had constructed in the middle of the settlement, a prison made of iron we had melted down directly across the pathway from said arena. It was no surprise that rumors were spreading across Hoshido about why the arena and prison were so close to each other, but I've learned to keep Kana away from those kind of things as much as possible so neither of us find out the truth for ourselves. To the west of the path was the throne Rinkah sat upon during the day: lodged into the cliff were her personal headquarters aided with two windmills on each side, the fifth windmill resting on the top part of the building. On the other side of the fort across the wooden bridges was the place we were destined to arrive upon: settlements that included the homes of villagers who were trying their hardest to make a living. There was a Wind Tribe Armory and Smithy shop near the southern entrance of the fort, and completed in the middle was a statue of the dragon we forged awhile back when the war was still continuing. The sun had already begun setting when we began to unload our products for shipment. In the carriage was more than twenty pounds of pure rice, and six boxes filled to the brim with ice magic incensed fish. The unloading of such produce took so much of our time that the sun had already disappeared from the skies, relieving many different comets to dance in the naught. Even the stars never shined so brightly back at the Dragon Temple…

"It doesn't look like…Asugi's here…does it Papa?" Kana frowned at her words when she sat upon a crate resting her cute face on her hands.

"Well," I started, "You did say he plays hide-and-seek didn't you Kana?" Suddenly, she stood up with a surprised expression upon herself.

"W-Wait…you're right Papa!" she exclaimed, "Maybe he already started!" The girl quickly turned to me and started hopping in front of me. "Please please PLEASE Papa! Can I go find him?! I know it's after dark but I promise I'll be back at the headquarters before it gets too late! P-Please?!" I sighed when Rinkah came around the corner with a smile.

"Thanks for helping us all out with the shipment Dyru," she said, "It took us a little while but our home is fed well."

"Of course Lady Rinkah-"

"Don't…call me that," she interrupted, "The Fire Tribe would frown upon me if they knew I was complimented such things. Have to maintain the tough figure, you know, all that sort of junk." Kana was still hopping at my feet when she smiled. "Ah Kana! It's good to see you! Thanks for helping out your father. I'm sure he is very proud." She turned around and bowed in a cute princess-like manner, then faced me once again.

"Please Papa?! Please?!" Rinkah sighed.

"This is why I don't have kids…," she spoke, "Hey, Dyru, what is she begging for?"

"She wants to go see Asugi," I answered, but before I continued, I faced her once again, "However, she knows better than to ask her father for something she knows she isn't going to get to do. Honey, it's after dark and the stars are already out. You know it's not safe at night to wonder around." Rinkah stepped in and laugh.

"So tell me, what's the threat around here Lord Dyru?" she asked, "Some wallahannalugi gonna come in and hurt your daughter?"

"What are you saying Rinkah?" I asked as she sighed.

"Come on now Dyru," she started, "Let the girl go find her friend. I can assure you she is safe in this fort and nothing is going to get in or get out. Besides, you and I have some catching up to do. We can have dinner at my place and talk about good times. Her bed will be prepped and ready to sleep in by the time she gets home from playing with him." Kana's hopeful eyes were staring into mine almost as if she was about to cry. Whenever those eyes made contact with mine, all I could see were Hana's beautiful expressions. How in the world could I say no to such a look? Reluctantly, I sighed.

"…OK Kana, you can…jeeze…you can go and find Asugi-WHOA!" The cheerful girl couldn't help but leap into my arms and swing around me like a monkey on a tree.

"YAY!" she screamed, "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU PAPA! I WON'T BE GONE LONG I PROMISE!"

"OK OK!" I exclaimed, "J-Just let me go sweetie! You're rug-burning my neck!" The little girl flung off of me in excitement and stripped off her armor piece by piece, residing in her Nohr Princess outfit I gave her when she first started living with us. It's hard to look back and remember how young she was when Hana was dressing her up still. I sat on my knee and laid my eyes upon hers.

"Listen Kana," I started, "As Rinkah said, there is nothing to go in and out of that post, so you are to stay within the fort so you can be safe. Asugi only leaves it because he is a ninja and goes on reconnaissance missions, so he can fend for himself. However, you are still young, and still my only daughter. I know you can take care of yourself too, but I'd feel more relieved knowing you were still here in this fort looking for your friend."

"I-I understand Papa," she affirmed with a smile, "I promise I won't leave the fort, on my word."

"Good," I said with a sigh of relief, "Now go on. Be sure to come home after you're through playing, OK?" The girl couldn't help but giggle as she spread her arms and started running towards the village. "And stay close!" She had already disappeared before she could hear me, Rinkah laughing a little.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" she asked, "The Deeprealm sure did do quite a number on her age."

"Sometimes I worry about that. She's matured faster than I thought she would. I mean…her curves are coming in at a slow rate, but her mind is a lot like ours."

"Don't even fret over it Dyru. Just cherish the golden days while you still can. Sometime soon you're gonna have to eventually let her grow up."

"I'm not even slightly worried too much about that. It's her mother that will have to learn that the hard way. She's so attached to Kana it's unreal…"

…

If anybody knew Asugi the absolute best, it was definitely me. When children from the Deeprealms started pouring into the Dragon Temple, it was hard for me to bond with anyone. I was the first to arrive according to Papa and Mama, and even then, they were the only two I would talk to. The first of the children I remembered coming in after me was Kiragi. He was easy to talk to at first, but it appeared that hunting was more important than anything else. Because of this, it was unfortunate that I couldn't spend any time with him. `Then I remembered Mitama arriving after her. She seemed to be a very intelligent girl, spouting stuff out of her mouth that at the time wasn't sure if it was some sort of literature or not. When it came to getting to know her though, I found out very quickly that she enjoyed sleeping in her bed more than interacting with anyone. It was then that I met Asugi. When I first approached him, he shoved me away and continued on with his business. After a few rejections, I couldn't take it anymore! Something about him was drawing me in, I had to do something! I asked my Mama for some advice on how to talk to someone like him, and the only thing she told me to do was to be myself! It didn't seem very helpful, but of course I gave it a shot. So how was it that I managed to get along with him so well?

"Asuuuuuugiiiiiii!" I exclaimed, "Where are youuuuuuu?!" In the beginning, I challenged him to a game of hide-and-seek to get his attention. He was reluctant to do so, in fact he kept asking me why I wanted to play such a silly game with him. When he heard my explanation about how I am the best hide-and-seeker to ever live, he suddenly took on my challenge saying that he couldn't have someone show up his stealth skills. I could've given him a better reason of asking him to play than calling him a thief, but…what else could I say? He was a really good thief! I ended up finding him in literally a matter of seconds on our first game, making him feel embarrassed yet intrigued. He was actually pretty impressed with my ability to scout areas around me and make precise calculations based on my surroundings. With that, we set out to have another hide-and-seek game. This time, I used my Dragonstone to bury myself under the ground so he could never suspect me. Once again, he accepted defeat as I emerged from the ground turning back into the girl he knows. We were a little fired up at each other, sort of calling names, but then we resorted to a third and final challenge. With Best-Hide-and-Seeker Ever on the line, the battle raged on! This one was nearly impossible to win. No matter where I looked, he was nowhere to be found. I thought I knew all of the greatest hiding places in the temple, but no matter where I looked, Asugi was nowhere to be found! I started wondering if he was even at the temple at all until suddenly, a tree vanished into smoke and out came the thief! I literally stood no chance to someone like him if he had abilities like that, but he insisted that we…actually keep playing. To be honest, I was really shocked that he was interested in playing someone younger than he was. A few weeks passed, and I actually confessed to him that I enjoyed playing with him all the time because he was the only one who ever wanted anything to do with me other than my Mama and Papa's friends. Later we agreed to play the game together till we were both eighty years old, which I'll admit was kinda silly for me to say. But…I couldn't help but stick around him. Eventually, the two of us went together with Mama and Papa in battles, defending one another from Nohrians who were trying to hurt us. I can't say there was a better way for us to bond, but later tonight, I would learn something new about Asugi that I never knew was possible…

I ran behind a building and scouted the area before me. Nothing but villagers having a peaceful time mingling about the desert fort. I continued to look around while walking the path they made, sighing with a frown on my face.

"…I guess he's really not here," I spoke, "He said he was going to be here when I arrived, yet he's nowhere to be found…" I could feel my face fuming when I stomped my foot into the ground. "Grr! I can't believe that dummy would show me up! Dummy, dummy, dummy!"

"Little Miss Dragon…" My vision suddenly went black, my mouth opening a little when I reached up to grasp my face. I was greeted with a pair of soft hands that instantly made me blush, but couldn't help to smile. "I thought a princess would say kinder things to their best friend ever, but dummy is a new one." I took his hands off of me and embraced him tightly with a huge smile on my face. Asugi stood in front of me, my one true friend!

"ASUGI!" I exclaimed, "I KNEW YOU WERE HERE!"

"R-Right!" he replied with a sweat on his face, "J-Just let me go you little twerp, jeeze!" I almost didn't want to, but I had to admit I was suffocating him a little.

"I'll let that one slide since I called you a dummy," I said with a stern expression, "Where were you?! I looked all over this fort and I couldn't find you anywhere!" Asugi placed his arms on the back of his head and smiled with a cocky look.

"I imagine you forgot about the fact I could transform into stuff already didn't you?" he replied, "I was the Dawn Armory sign the entire time. I've been that thing since you've got here." With my widened eyes, I was in shock. I can't believe he would do such a trick after not being able to see me for awhile! I closed my eyes and started hitting his chest.

"Baka! Baka! Baka! Do you know how long it's been since I've seen you?! Why would you play ahead of time before I even got here?! I didn't even get a chance to count to 100 or anything!"

"It's not my fault. You took too long to get here! And stop calling me baka. It's not nice to call people names when they're better than you at hide-and-seek." I gave him a nice little smirk with my eyes closed.

"Oh I see," I started, "You started playing because you were too afraid to take me head on!"

"Now you're pushing it Little Miss Dragon," he retorted with a smile, "You're on, let's do this. I'll count, and you can hide. Trust me though, I know this fort better than you ever will, so if you think you're gonna win this one, then you're betting on the wrong horse!"

"Bring it on!" I exclaimed, "Let's see if you really CAN find me!" And so, I took off while the crazy ninja started doing his numbers.

A couple of hours passed during our game time. We must've played at least thirty times, because we were one-upping each other in victories and even defeats. First, I used my Dragonstone to hide in the side of the cliff, giggling when Asugi walked by me at least ten times, then he used his tricks to blend into a shadow. As we continued to play our games, neither of us could topple one another in such a rigorous game of hide-and-seek. The game seemed to never want to come to an end! When we met back at the center of the village, a much-needed rest ensued between the two of us. It had been awhile since we've seen each other, playing such a harsh yet fun game like this. One of the greatest memories I had with Asugi was the candy he would share with me after playing such fun games with him.

"I brought you your favorite this time around," Asugi said with a smile as we sat together, "Chocolate caramel crunchies. From what I hear, this is a delicacy to Nohrians who favor candy in their downtime." My eyes were glistening with glee when he handed me a piece, until I realized something about it.

"Um..Asugi," I started, "This is your favorite candy too isn't it?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"It's just…I've noticed you only brought one piece with you. You're really willing to give me this?"

"Of course. You're my best friend, you don't get to eat candy too often so I thought you might like it." When I held the ball of chocolate and caramel in my hand, I…actually frowned. I thought he loved suckers more than anything else, but…I'd feel really guilty about eating it by myself let alone something that is extremely rare for him to get his hands on. With thoughts like this, I smiled and gazed into his eyes.

"Asugi," I begun, "You and I have been friends since the first day we met each other. I always thought you looked at me like I was…hum…a twerp I believe. But I'm glad you see me as your best friend, though I have to admit I'm a little disappointed." His confused expressions took notice.

"Disappointed?"

"I thought you knew me a little better than to just keep something so wonderful for myself, especially if it is very uncommon to come across something as delicious as this." In my hand was the Draconis Dagger my Papa gave to me when I was learning how to use two swords, unsheathing such a beautiful blade relieved some shining glory upon us as I carefully sliced the crunchy into two pieces. Kindly, I placed my hand in his to deliver the prize he worked so hard in getting. Though at the same time, he was slightly disappointed.

"Kana!" he exclaimed, "You're supposed to eat the chocolate and caramel together! They don't taste as great when they're separate!" At this moment, something clever came to mind…and I just couldn't help but…say it. I glanced at the ground, blushing a bright red before I could speak though.

"…Y-You're right," I whispered, "It…well, they are just their own entity and plain…but when they're together, they're…they're beautiful…" Asugi couldn't help but sweat a little at my words, but at the same time, he was…blushing too?

"You're killing me Little Miss Dragon," he spoke nervously, "Of course they're beautiful! The pungent taste they have when they're together, the aroma they produce when cooked just right, the one moment when it reaches your tongue and gives that beautiful sweet yet intensifying jab…" I giggled at his words, I could listen to him talk about candy all night and it wouldn't bother me in the least. Suckers and lollipops definitely sound very tasty right about now.

"H-Hey Asugi," I said, "Do you know where to get candy like this? I mean, I know you said Nohr, but Hoshido has to have some sort of candy too don't they?"

"Of course Hoshido's got its own kinda candy," Asugi answered, "Believe it or not, there's some actual sugarcane growing outside of the fort that farmers were taking care of. If we can get a hold of it, I can teach you how to make some real bites so that way you don't have to wait for me all the time to bring some."

"O-Outside the fort?" I questioned, "U-Um…Papa told me not to leave the area at all, I even promised him…" The cocky ninja smirked at me.

"You know, for royalty, you sure are whipped by your parents Little Miss Dragon," he taunted, "C'mon we'll only be gone for a good ten minutes. Then we'll be back in the Desert of Hope before you know it."

"B-But what about the guards?" I asked, "Won't they notice something's up when they don't see us?" Wait…what the heck was I saying?

"You forget that I'm a ninja," he answered, "Literally, I'm a master of stealth. You know how many times I sneak out of this place without getting caught? These thickheaded guards won't know what hit them." At his words I gazed upon Rinkah's private quarters, thinking back to the words my father was saying when they spoke. I know he didn't want me to leave the fort, but Rinkah was able to get him to keep his hawk eyes off of me for just a little longer. Besides…when would there be another time for me to see Asugi again after we leave tomorrow? I couldn't let this pass me up. After a little thought, I finally stood up and smiled.

"You know what?" I questioned, "Let's do it! If you say it's right outside the fort then how bad can it be? OK! I'm so in!"

"That's the dragon I know all too well," he complimented, "Alright, the best way out is if we scale that cliff swiftly and silently. You can't use your dragon form obviously, it would draw attention."

"So how do you suppose we get up there the-" In an instant my body felt weightless, my legs dangling over…Asugi's arms. My face filled with shock, I couldn't help but blush. He felt…strong.

"I'll have to run up the cliff with you in my arms, that's the only way to do it, it appears…" He smiled as he got into stance. "You might wanna hold tight Little Miss Dragon. It's gonna be a fast ride."

"O-OK," was all I could utter before he could let me finish, and before you know it, we were already at the front base of the cliff…

…

With a giant leap off the side of gorge, Asugi continued sprinting through the now-harsh desert storm that would seem to never end. The stars were still dancing in the skies of naught, but not without the aid of sand kicking up to block our vision. He stopped for a moment to adjust the scarf I wore around my neck to cover my eyes from the sand, while he placed a face mask on.

"Hey Asugi," I started, "We've…been in the desert for more than at least ten minutes. Are you sure the sugar cane is growing around here?"

"Positive," he answered, "Just keep your eyes covered for now, the sandstorm will irritate them if you don't." I nodded, holding on to the collar of his clothing while he continued charging through the path. I kept my eyes closed as he said, sure enough we would be there at the sugar cane so I could learn how to make some really good candy. At some point however, I began to suspect we weren't going to see the cane at all. I forgot how long he was on the road for, but it was definitely more than ten minutes. It didn't really…truly matter though. I was going to enjoy basking in his arms for just a little longer, knowing it was going to be the last time I would ever get to feel his touch.

The storm started to slowly dim down a bit, I could tell because we were no longer running at this point. I could hear him walking softly through what I thought was…grass?

"H-Hey Asugi," I said, "Um…where are we?"

"Well," he replied, "I can say we aren't exactly in the desert anymore."

"H-Huh?!" I quickly took my scarf off from around my face and gazed upon a forest! There were fireflies fluttering about the area, illuminating our dark path that rested beyond the shadows. The moon's aura also aided in helping us see where we were going. "A-Asugi! This is way beyond the desert! Do you even know where we are?!"

"Well Little Miss Dragon if I didn't have the faintest idea where we were I wouldn't have dragged us out here now would I?" he retorted, "Now calm down and relax, we're almost there."

"N-No Asugi! You don't understand! I thought we were going to get sugar cane! If I knew we were going to leave the desert I would've NEVER agreed on coming out here!" He sighed at my words while playing with the shuriken he had in his hand after he placed me down.

"Well you can always fly back to the desert," he said, "Once you get in the skies you can head back east and follow the path into the fort."

"And I think I'll do that right about now Asugi," I retorted back at him, "I can't be out here and you knew that unless Papa or Mama were here with m-" He placed his finger upon my lips before I could even spout another word. His eyes were innocently staring directly into mine…stunned by his…expression. I couldn't describe it exactly…but it seemed very…pleasant.

"Look…," he began, "I know you're a smart, vibrant young woman, so with that being said, don't you think there's a reason why I brought you out here?" I was silent at his words...I couldn't speak. "Yes, I admit that I lied. Then again, you should know better than to believe that sugar cane existed out in a desert that hardly ever rains. I took you a little farther out than I said I would because I wanted to show you something that I found when I was scouting the forest one day. I know you will appreciate it a lot Little Miss Dragon, so unless you want to see what it is, you're gonna have to trust me, OK?" His tone this time around was a lot softer than what I was used to, so soft that I could feel myself slightly blushing yet again. And I swore I may have misheard him…but…did he call me…a young woman?

"…Asugi…" My heart…I could feel it beating a little faster than normal. What was it that he wanted to show me?

"I'll take that as a yes so you'll stick with me then?" he questioned, "Now come on Little Miss Dragon, we're close." Placing his arms on the back of his head, he began to strut along the pathway that lit up with the fireflies I saw earlier. Noticing he was a little ways away from me, I paced myself with quick little steps before I came to match his movement.

"So…what is it?"

"Ah c'mon, I can't exactly tell you before we get there now can I? Otherwise it won't really be worth a surprise. Trust me, I know you're gonna love this."

"Please tell me it's not a new place to play hide-and-seek. I can go all day with you on that game, but this scenery is just way too nice even for you to do something like that." Asugi laughed at my words.

"Well you could technically play hide-and-seek in this place. But I think you'll appreciate it for more than just that. It's kind of what you'd call um…a home."

"A home?" He opened his pouch and placed a sucker in my hand.

"This one is a special candy," he said, "It came from overseas, used with grapes."

"I've never had a grape before, what does it taste like?"

"It's a fruit, but the juices it secretes can make for a powerfully tasty candy. They also make wine with grapes, you know, rich people stuff."

"But I thought it came from overseas. How does Hoshido get their wine if they grow grapes here?" Asugi stood still and thought for a moment about my words…and suddenly blushed.

"I-I don't know, maybe they have people they talk to overseas. Jeeze Kana…" I couldn't help but giggle.

"It's OK Asugi, if you don't really know then I won't judge you. I bet this candy is going to taste amazing regardless of where it's from. You picked it so it has to be the best." I could see him smiling as I began to unveil the wrapper. The scent of sweetness hit my nose softly, making me feel all tingly with excitement. The best part was when I placed the sucker in my mouth though. "O-Oh…my goodness! A-Asugi this is AMAZING! I've never tasted something so juicy yet sweet!"

"I'm glad you like it Kana," he said, "It's not a sucker you can get just anywhere." I gave him somewhat of a flirtatious smirk while I was sucking on the candy.

"Hey…did you think you could win my heart over something like this?"

"Works every time doesn't it?"

"Well maybe if I was in a sad…mood…" Standing in front of us was a large opening in a cliff, a deep, dark hole surrounded by most of the trees we saw in the forest earlier. Asugi smiled brightly at such a site.

"Looks like we made it…" He took slow footsteps towards the hole in the cliff, shuriken in hand while I stood behind him a little frightened. Spinning it around his finger, he laced it back to his sash and nodded. "Ok, it's all clear, come on. The surprise is in here." I nodded softly as he took my hand and guided me into the hole…

…

Asugi grabbed one of the torches hanging on the wall and lit it up with the incense he had left over from the Wind Tribe's candle. With a burst of flame erupting from the cloth, the entire cave practically lit up giving us the view of the surroundings. The rocky walls were wet with residue from the waters that seemingly splashed onto it as the pathway started becoming bumpy as well. Stalactites were numerous near the ground and even on the ceilings of this cave; some even interfered with the pathway we were walking on. The air was cool yet pleasant at the same time despite it being so dark in here…

"It feels really nice in here Asugi," I spoke with a smile, "I could stay in here all day if I wanted to."

"You like this place because of your dragon blood," he told me, "Most dragons prefer caves when they are off into slumber, at least, that's what legends say about the water dragons anyway. But something else in here is really special to you, and I'm gonna take you right to it." I couldn't wait anymore, I turned him around with a wondrous look in my eye.

"It's not anything dangerous is it?" I questioned, "It must be really special if you haven't said anything about it to me yet."

"Trust me," he answered, "It's killing me inside not to tell you anything about this place until we reached the end of the cave. But I won't speak anymore, at least until we get there." I nodded as he continued holding my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine as we took our time observing our surroundings. Silence was among us for a good brief amount of time before the two of us said anything at all, and who could blame us? There were so many wonderful things in this cave that I couldn't describe, so lustrous and vibrant. It may have been the lapis that was imprinted onto the walls of the cave that gave a mysterious glow, or the sounds of flowing water heading down the rocky hill. Who really knew…? "The last time I remember being here was when I was on a recon mission with my father and his brother Kaze. We were looking to check the defenses of the Wind Tribe so we could convince their members to join us, but unfortunately it turned into a small brawl when some of their people started attacking us. I guess you couldn't blame them for doing it, we weren't exactly wearing Hoshidan Badges at the time so it wasn't like they knew who we were right off the bat. When the battle got too intense for us, we all ran into this forest and directly into the cave you and I are walking in right now. One of the first things on my mind was how many hiding places I could use to evade your wondering eyes. That was, until I heard some interesting things come out of Kaze's mouth." In awe by his explanation, I continued to listen to him. Asking him anything at this point wouldn't get me anywhere. "He explained to me things about water and how it always flows yet it never reaches where it's going. No matter what it carries within its currents it will never stop going, like time itself. This is one of the details I remembered about Azura's song when she sacrificed herself to help us kill King Garon, how we can just reach our hand into the purest of waters and feel like we are going to a place different from ours…"

"Asugi…"

"…It might seem irrelevant, but in truth…when you first met me, I was more upset than you could ever imagine. My father rarely went to see me when I was a baby, so when I grew up, I resented him and the Saizo Clan for leaving me to fend for myself. I know that my mother loved me, but Saizo would never let her go to see me unless he was with her. In the end he was the reason I even went with that guy who tried to hire me as a contract killer. Growing up, he was the closest thing I had to a father."

"I…I remember," I said, "Papa and I were talking about this before we got to the Desert of Hope. He never knew it was me who stood in your path and tried preventing you from escaping the thieves' den." He nodded as we continued walking down the rocky slope.

"Yeah…when father relieved me of the Saizo name, I wanted to cut his throat open and watch him bleed to death for not even being there for me. However, my mother's side started affecting me, and then I just told him that I would go with him to see everyone." He closed his eyes when he stopped for a moment. "To think that's how you and I met, you only got to see this mean side of me for a while when all you wanted to do was just play a game with me. Goes to show how much I've changed eh?" I couldn't help myself but to frown upon his genuine words of sadness. Like Papa, Asugi has had more of a tougher life than I could ever imagine. He had to grow up without his family being by his side for a long time, not knowing what love was or anything of such a nature, while I practically had everything I ever wanted at my feet: a caring family, potential friends, and a good home.

"Asugi…I…-"

"Look over there." He pointed his torch towards flowing water leaking out of the side of the cave that seem to trail down the pathway. It was here that something interesting caught my eye. After scouting it, a faint glow in the distance of the cave had appeared in my sights. The glow was a light-greenish color with somewhat of a blue hue floating around it.

"What is that Asugi?" He smiled with the sucker resting in his mouth.

"Your surprise is right there," he answered, "C'mon Kana, we're practically here." We suddenly began to pick up the pace a little as the glow continued to intensify. The more we ran towards it, the more excited I started to become. What in the world could the surprise possibly be in a wondrous place like this?

"A-Asugi! Slow down! I can barely catch up through these rocks!" The fast-armed ninja quickly faced me with both arms sticking out to grapple me. When he placed me in his arms once again, he took off running through the rocky pathway to follow through to the glowing source of light. In the process, he dropped the torch forcing the flames to instantly shut off. Our only way to see was the glow at this point, and the two of us were getting closer and closer to it.

The path began to become a little narrower as we continued to trot through the darkness of the cave. Despite such intense darkness, the glow served as our guide when it became a little more intensified. All it took was one more turn…and…

"Here it is…your surprise." When he placed me down, I gazed in awe at the site before me…such…such beauty! The glow appeared to be coming from the pure blue waters that were separated by the end of the path, and it was so intense that it actually lit up the dome-like part of the ceiling! Something was off about the water however…so I glanced over at Asugi.

"Hey Asugi…," I started, "This is very, without a doubt, very beautiful, but I have to ask…"

"Yeah?" he replied as he sat on the ground and took his soles off.

"Something is different about this water," I began, "I mean…its dark outside right? There should be light coming in from the cave somewhere that makes the water glow like this. However, there isn't any holes in the ceiling, yet the water is pristine and blue." He smiled at my words…and took my hand in his.

"That's the whole point of this cave," he told me, "The water here actually IS special, and yes, there's a reason why it glows like this…I just…I haven't told you why yet." This was getting really interesting…

"What…what is it?" He was silent for a moment, nothing but the sound of water hitting the edge of the shore we sat in embracing my ears with gentle kindness. Despite all of this, he was…still holding my hand.

"Kana," he suddenly spoke, "Do you…remember how you said we were going to play hide-and-seek 'till we were eighty years old to determine who the best hide-and-seeker is?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Well…there was a reason why I brought you to this cave, and as you can see, there isn't really anywhere to hide…is there?"

"N-No…"

"…There are things that I've been hiding from you for a long time and I…feel in a place like this I can tell you anything no matter what it is." My face already grew hot at his words, riper than a cherry's blemish. "The truth is…I've…I've been spying on you and Dyru." That wasn't…exactly what I was expecting.

"H-Huh?" was all I could say at the moment. "What…how…? What are you talking about Asugi?" He took a deep sigh and began his explanation.

"Kana…I know about the ring you keep around your neck. Your father gave you that ring to put on your finger, but when you tried to put it on, it wouldn't fit you at all." Silence for a moment…then. "I know how much you truly cherish your family, so much that I'm a little…envious of you. I never had such a family like this before because I was always alone in the dark…and observing you from afar made me that much more curious about your life and how you ran it. But no matter where you went, whether it was into battle, or it was to frolic in the field of flowers back at home, or even when you played hide-and-seek with me, you were always trying to put that ring on your finger and it would never fit…" He suddenly stood up from the ground, pulling me with him as we took a few steps close to the water. "Kana…tell me, what do you see in the water?" I tilted my head towards the water and tried to get a closer look what was beyond it. To my surprise, he was actually right about it!

"There's…a shack resting on a field in front of a statue…and surrounding it is a few plows of grass separated by some streams…and some bridges…" This was…really strange. Something about this place really felt…familiar. "Asugi…what…what is this?" The man turned me around to face him, making me blush as hard as I ever have in my life.

"If you submerge yourself into this water and swim to the very bottom of it," he said, "You'll…cross into a different world that is shown in the water. This one in particular…is your old home." My face suddenly morphed into a surprised expression when Asugi said those words. This wasn't…ordinary water after all. If I was correct…this was…

*In the Stars plays here*

"…A Deeprealm…," I almost stuttered to say, "M-My…My home where my father found me…" A tear drained out of my eye when I turned to face the water that showed my home to me. This was the place where I discovered I could transform into the water dragon everyone in that village feared…where the invaders came to try and destroy us. "A-Asugi…how…how did you…why did you…" I was trying my hardest not to cry…but I just…couldn't hold it in.

"Children are forbidden from knowing where their Deeprealm is once they have crossed into this world," he told me as he placed his arm on my shoulder, "This is so they can grow at a normal rate and become adults…" He slowly turned me to him, looking away to avoid my saltwater-filled face. "I…I knew you were frustrated that you couldn't put this ring on your finger, and it made you feel terribly depressed that you couldn't return such love to your mother and father…so…I brought you here so you could go back to your old home and grow up faster. That way when you came back, the ring could…finally be placed where it belongs." I didn't know what to say…I was so stunned by such a discovery that all I could do was drain more tears from my eyes and cry silently to myself. I truly didn't know if I was happy or if I was sad…memories pouring back into my mind when I thought about Papa and how much he wanted me to stay here during the war so he wouldn't worry about me. I begged him to let me go back home to see Mama and all the people who were fighting to protect Hoshido, and reluctantly, he agreed to such a hard decision to make. I couldn't be happier to leave my old home, that was, until I received the ring from him…

"…A-Asugi…," I stuttered, "…Thank you…thank you so much for finding my old home…" The boy suddenly clammed up and blushed.

"H-Hey, it's nothing Little Miss Dragon," he replied, "I thought you would like the idea of being able to go back home for a little while so you could grow." I decided that…it was time to tell him something I'd been holding back.

"…Asugi…," I calmly spoke, "As beautiful as this really is…I'm…not sure if I want to go back home." He was surprised to hear me say those words.

"W-What?!" he exclaimed, "Then what was the point of me explaining all of this to you?!" I gulped at his question.

"This is a cave…that doesn't have any good hiding spots right?" I asked him, "Since there is nowhere to hide, only there is us to remain standing here like this…" I looked down at the floor as my tears came rolling down my face. "So…I will treat this cave the way it is meant to be…by telling you the truth Asugi…" I calmly took both of his hands and sat back down on the sand, the boy giving me a confused look into my soul. "I-It may take time for me to grow into this ring, but that's the whole purpose of being here right? To grow up a little more?" He nodded nervously yet was still confused it seemed. "Sometimes Asugi…I feel…I feel…" Silence for only a slight moment. "I feel…right at home when…I'm with you."

"What…?"

"When I look at this pond of sparkling, pure water, I think to myself how I can go in and grow a little older in a few days so I can wear this ring for my Papa…"

"Mhm…"

"But when I think about the time we've spent together…those long months during the war…I couldn't help but ponder how much I've grown…attached to you. You were the only friend I had at the Dragon Temple that would ever spend time with me even though I initiated the conversation to begin with. We played together, spent time eating candy, telling ghost stories…we did everything together Asugi…"

"Kana…"

"When we agreed to play hide-and-seek for another eighty years to see who was the best hide-and-seeker, I was hesitant. I didn't know if I wanted to wait another eighty years to tell you how…I truly feel about you. I would've…rather played the game with you when we were…together…as one…" I couldn't believe myself, saying such things at a time like this. "But these thoughts came about because we spent so much time together in the real world, with real time passing by much slower than the Deeprealm's. I feel like…if I go into this pond and submerge myself, I'll have rushed that time instead of enjoying the next few years with my Papa, years that would contain memories lasting in nothing but happiness." Then the shocker. "But now that I look at this pond, I suddenly want to be able to please someone else who I deeply care about, someone who looks at me as a twerp at times. If I step in and come back later, maybe I would be…more mature, old enough to be called his own…and I'm considering such an act even as I tell you these things Asugi…because the man I want to be with…is…is you…" His expression became warmer as I gazed into his soft red eyes, his mouth gaping a little in surprise at my words. "You…You're the only one that gets me Asugi, you're the only one out of that entire temple that took time to get to know me…well enough to bring me here to this wonderful place of which I am forbidden to know about. The fact that you…cared so much about my happiness speaks that you are the one for me…but I feel younger…and that I will never have that-" In an instant, my eyes had widened when my lips could feel something warm on them. To my surprise…Asugi's face was directly in front of me…embracing his mouth with mine ever so gently. It was so intense that I could feel my heart melting from the inside out…and with this, I slowly closed my eyes and kissed him back, feeling more tears running down my face as we stood up together, embracing one another with our arms. When we finished, he was resting his nose on mine, looking directly into my eyes.

"…Age may have its differences," he told me, "But you are, or never were, too young for me Kana…"

"You mean…you don't…care?"

"We are only three years apart Kana…," he affirmed, "And despite that…you were the only person mature enough to have me, at any time you ever wanted to. For you to share your family's love that I never got to have growing up with…shows that you are not a child, even if your appearance deems you to be. You are a loving, wonderful, vibrant young woman with a heart of gold that any thief could ever hope to steal. Yet…instead of stealing it, I want to stay with it…for eighty years or so…no, for the rest of my life…" So…he loved me all this time too…

"Asugi…" I closed my eyes and moved in to kiss him softly, his response mirroring mine as we slowly lied on the ground together with him on top of me. When we finished…I had to tell him. "I love you…Asugi Saizo…" He smiled and smooched me one more time.

"I love you too…Kana Saizo…" I giggled a little…

"I'm the caramel to your chocolate," I joked as he laughed.

"That's my line Little Miss Dragon," he replied…with one more kiss before we cuddled in the sand together.

…

The two of us decided to stay a little longer before we decided to travel back to the Desert of Hope. A place like this was too beautiful for us to just simply leave…so we spent the rest of our time sleeping together on the sand, Asugi embracing me from behind as we held hands and faced the purified waters which were my Deeprealm. For the first time in a long time, I no longer felt lonely or useless to my family who cared deeply about me, and as for Asugi, I could only imagine that he felt more relieved than ever to have bonded with them the way he was supposed to with his mother and father. What Papa and Mama didn't know was when these 7 days were up…

 **Well, there you go!**

 **My first submission of a Fire Emblem Story! I have the whole Aftermath completed already! All I have to do now is upload all of them up here for all to read! I really hope I live to impress all of you in wanting more! :o**

 **Comments?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again!**

 **Sorry it took me awhile to post this next one, just wanted the first chapter to sink in a bit. I hope you enjoyed the last one!**

 **Alrighty, now we move onto Saizo and Mozu. This one is a bit different, mainly because in my first actual playthrough, I accidentally let Kaze die x.x Now what makes this interesting is...well, you'll have to read it in order to find out!**

 **WARNING: Foul language ahead.**

Saizo Mozu

2 Days after Coronation

Location: Dragon Temple (Hoshido's Main HQ)

Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Loyalty…and Honor. These are the seven blessings that apply to the fortitude of Bushido. In terms, it is a code that all Hoshidans follow in order to pursue a life of tranquility and retribution. In the days that follow for my brother Kaze and I, it was nothing new to us. Our father was a sensei who knew how to derive fear into those who followed him, but it was this fear alone that was our driving source of survival in the instincts of detection and murder. Without fail, our missions were a success because of this fear that grew inside us. Never in a time were my instincts dull and ignorant to anything and everything around me; a chance that someone was listening to us always existed, and whomever it may be will be gutted down like a fish, filleted into a meal edible only to the wolves that roam our mountains.

Though the war has ended, my mission continues. Lord Ryoma insisted that our small group stay for the next seven days to interact with one another. However, after visiting my brother's statue one last time will it be that I disappear without a trace of evidence to conclude I even existed in history. The sun's beautiful rays were blanketed with thick, gray clouds, a sign that the gods will be shedding their tears very soon upon my brother as they accept him into the heavens. In the meditating stance, I sit in front of his statue and close my eyes, yielding to the memories that would continuously pour into my thick yet broken skull. The first of such is when we were born. Our mother was instantaneously slaughtered after birth by an unknown individual, and it was that very moment our father came to our rescue and guided us into the life of the Saizo. Since we were children, we overcame many brutal and hellish tasks to learn about survival through our niche, scouting areas without the will of falling into slumber. The two of us embraced days on end of nothing but torture, enduring situations that ordinary human beings would never have survived under. To some, my brother and I were demons that thrived upon survival and killing…but in truth we're human beings who could do anything others couldn't. My memories soon came to a halt when a woman in rags made her presence known to me; black hair wrapped up into two side ponytails, aided with a pair of black roses on each side of her head. The freckled woman placed herself onto the ground in knees, praying silently to herself but teary without fail. Her whimpers suddenly took notice to my right ear, keeping my eyes closed and continuing to observe my moment of silence with my brother. It didn't take long for the woman to make her personal prayer known.

"Kaze…," she began, "I'm…I'm here again. I wanted to tell you how much I love and missed seeing your wonderful smile." My eyes were still closed, but my ears were listening. "I recall the days you taught me…how to become a braver soul than I could ever have been through the art of simply peeling potatoes. I admit it appeared absurd at first…but…as I continued to peel, I could see how this was a regimen that became part of your training." She suddenly giggled. "I remember how we both used to have a contest on who could peel potatoes the fastest. I outdid the master in the end, but no matter the victory, I always…felt like a coward on the battlefield. If it wasn't for you, I would've never became a Master of Arms. Imagine that…a weed like me, fearful for its own life as a scythe draws near, then suddenly, transforms into a steel flower breaking it in half. And it was all thanks to you Kaze…if only I knew you were going to sacrifice yourself for Lord Dyru…I would've happily taken your place…so you can live another fruitful day…"

"Perhaps it was Lord Dyru who should've died that day." At these words I uttered, the woman suddenly stood up and faced her brother-in-law.

"…Excuse me?"

"You heard me," I spoke again, "If it wasn't for Dyru's carelessness my brother would still be alive today. You admit compromising to this statement by saying you would take his place. Do you not?" The woman suddenly walked towards me, forcing myself to stand and meet her face to face. The woman before me was Mozu…

"I would never compromise to such poor choice of words," she told me, "It is unfortunate my husband passed away for Dyru's safety, but if he didn't do that, then Hoshido would become the new Nohr." I scoffed at her words.

"Even if Nohrians are scum," I argued, "I would much rather embrace their darkness than Dyru's light."

"What an awful thing to say about our leader," she retorted, "Dyru is a great man! He gave his life to save this country at the cost of his Nohrian brother and sister. How could you say such terrible things about him?!"

"A man would never let his emotions get the best of him," I argued once again, "If he cared so much about them he wouldn't have let them die in the first place, just like my brother." I could see Mozu getting fired up.

"Th-That doesn't matter Saizo!" she exclaimed, "The fact is Kaze gave his life for a cause that not even you or I could ever achieve alone! If not for that then again, I argue the alternate future of our country!" She was getting under my skin…I had to defend him.

"So you, a trophy wife of my brother, would agree that it was him alone that should bear the pain and suffering of not being able to live another day?!"

"How do you think I feel about this situation Oh-Great-Saizo?!" she started screaming, "You think I enjoy the rest of my days being a widow?!"

"Evidently you must, considering that every male villager with a bone speaks about you in such lecherous ways." Her jaw gaped open at my harsh choice of words, and I didn't care. Not anymore.

"I HAVE NEVER AND WILL EVER TAKE THE SEED OF ANOTHER MAN THAT IS NOT KAZE!" she screamed, "How DARE you speak so low of me you third-rate slug!" she continued on. "And you call yourself his brother…you are NOTHING compared to Kaze, you will NEVER be Kaze! He is what a true Saizo should be-no-he IS his own identity, farther from being the monster you are you…you b-bastard!"

"What the fuck do you know about my brother that I don't you selfish sadness-loathing harlot?" I questioned in my darkest tone, "He is my twin for god's sake! There is not a piece of information he never confides me with!" Mozu gave me a chilling glare…

"So you think," she argued, "Kaze didn't tell you everything, in fact, he didn't even tell you details about Dyru's kidnapping like he told me!" My eye widened at her words. "He didn't tell you how sorrowful he felt when you both lost your father to that man in Mokushu, because he was AFRAID of you Saizo! He was terrified of knowing why you were such a monster on the battlefield, slaughtering more and more lives even when we were victorious! You THRIVE on drowning yourself in their crimson essence Saizo, and you call yourself his brother?!"

"DON'T YOU EVER UTTER HOW YOU THINK MY WAY OF LIFE IS RAN YOU STUCK UP PRECIOUS LITTLE BITCH!" I screamed in rage.

"Make me!" she taunted back, "You think you know everything there is to know about his life just because you were his brother, but you can't accept the inevitable truth! You defile everything there is to know about Bushido, and I'm not even part of such a code myself! You have no courage, you have no respect, you have ZERO honor! He loved you with all of his heart despite this and even when he was close to his death bed you yourself were NOWHERE to be found to save him!" She stood in my face as my shuriken was at the ready. "Even when your father died Kaze confided to me in tears how much he wanted to share that burden you received on your left eye because he could never be there for you to prevent you from becoming blind! But instead you kept pushing him away like he was a useless ragdoll acting all high and mighty and…and BULLISH!" Her nose almost touched mine at this point, the woman calming her voice down a little more. "And I know why you acted in such a way Saizo…because you were running away from the truth like a wounded animal with his tail between his hind legs. Unlike you, I, an inexperienced villager, had to battle my way through those who were trained to kill because they were a threat to my family…and I had to learn how to defend them rather than just stand around and be a farm girl…"

"A farm girl…," I started, "That's all you will ever be; a useless, good-for-nothing farm girl who runs away like a little mouse. Let me ask you this: how's your little girl you never go see? The little girl who will live for the rest of her life without her father because her mother was too pathetic and weak to protect him? I recall that he was the only one who knew where her Deeprealm was, yet you only saw her once when she was a baby while Kaze would run back and forth every day he could to care for her. But not you, you stayed behind and took care of a group of soldiers who ended up dying the very next day, well worth it when they couldn't even fucking stand and hoist their weapons in arms ISN'T IT MOZU?!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO EVEN UTTER HER NAME WHEN YOU COULD JUST AS WELL PREVENTED HIS DEATH YOU…YOU MONSTER!" Her tears were rolling from her eyes, a waterfall forming from them. "I had no choice but to do what was best for the army so Dyru could lead his forces into Nohr!"

"Dyru this, Dyru that! You worship him like he's a fucking god when he deserves absolutely NO praise! He is Nohrian scum just like the rest, I should've known to leave the Dragon Temple the moment Lord Ryoma made him the commander. If I had taken my brother with me he would've-"

"Would've what?!" she exclaimed, "You think he would've been better in your hands?! He would've became a monster just like you!"

"A monster that he confides in better than to hide from," I affirmed, "I challenge you Mozu, if you know something that I don't, then name it and I'll concede defeat!" Little did I know this was going to be a losing battle…

"Then I'll dish out the finishing blow that will put an end to your ego…," she commented with a glare, "Kaze was once part of Nohr." My eye widened at her words…something that I chose not to believe.

"You're a terrible liar," I responded, "He was a prisoner at Nohr, and it was Dyru who saved him from his execution." She closed her eyes…

"You poor, damned fool…," she retorted, "Kaze is the one that kidnapped Dyru when he was a baby and placed him in that tower until he was old enough to walk out. King Garon was the one who killed Ryoma's father, and upon destroying their city, Kaze took his chance in taking Dyru back to Krakenburg. When he questioned his leadership, he and Rinkah were punished with a death sentence that Dyru was ordered to carry out. However, he failed due to his kind nature and willingness to not take their lives that very moment…" She opened them, glaring at me still. "The fact that you knew nothing of where Kaze's loyalty lied is pure evidence of your ignorance, yet because he was not afraid of me was I able to come upon this information. You can ask Ryoma, or even Sakura. How about Subaki, Dyru's best friend? He could vouch for him! I could spend all day trying to drill the truth into your thick-headed fake-bushido-like skull in order to make you realize the truth about him, but knowing you, you will never lend the one eye you have left to look for the light. Because you will only believe in what you want, and never listen to anybody else!" The little girl turned to face the statue of the man she loved dearly, falling to her knees and balling her eyes out. "He will never get to see his daughter…I will never get to see my daughter…our family…it's broken for all eternity…and there is nothing that can save it…"

I was…stunned at her words. The farm girl knew more about me than I even knew about myself, or perhaps it was just my ignorance hiding it in a veil that I believed was to never be seen by anyone who would dare try to make me vulnerable. I always carried the burden of never being able to finish off the assassin who killed our father, but to believe Kaze wanted a share of that burden because he never knew…was beyond even my imagination. The more time I spent with this girl who I deemed a harlot, the more I began to realize how much the two of us had in common. Our lives were filled with regret, remorse, and turmoil, and it was all linked to the fact that neither of us were there for Kaze when he gave his life for Dyru that fateful night. Placing my shuriken in my sash, I walked over to Mozu and sat next to her, hearing her weeping over the death of my brother who really cared for us. Just when I thought that nightmare was over…

"…Excuse me…" Quickly, the two of us faced the direction of the innocent voice we overheard. It was a little girl, black hair in the same hairstyle as Mozu's, dressed in only a tunic, shorts, and an apothecary case. It was here that the gods had finally began their downpour, sorrow had filled their many eyes. "I'm…looking for my father…Kaze is his name. Have you both…seen him?"

 **O.o well...that took a very interesting turn didn't it?**

 **This one was a little different I think. What I really liked about these two is that their stories are entirely different from one another, yet, as a brother and sister in law, they both learn that they will have to get along no matter what the circumstances. Just be sure not to bring up "Dyru" x.x**

 **Anywho, I know a lot of people will disagree with me when I mention this, but I feel that Kaze dying seemed to be more emotional and canon to the story versus when he DOESN'T, simply because it seems to show more character to the bland list of characters Birthright has. The coolest thing about being a writer? Showing those how to formulate and bring a character to life as its own individual person :3**

 **In any case, leave your review below if you wish!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the short chapter of Saizo and Mozu, and are now ready to move onto Silas, Azura, and Angie!**

 **A short explanation about Angie: I thought it would be interesting to have both of the different gendered Avatars live together in that tower. Dyru supporting Hoshido, and Angie supporting Hoshido (though her heart has always belonged to Nohr, so this fact serves as a major conflict for Angie). With that being said, let's begin!**

Silas Azura Angie

2 Days after Coronation

Location: Dragon Temple (Hoshido's Main HQ)

"Caring…a warm hand…and tears…" After slamming my glass down, I took a look around to see other soldiers coming into the mess hall, cheering and celebrating after they fought hard in the war we finished together. "…What a joke." The man in front of me took the drink away and gave me a stern look as I sighed. "What now…?"

"I think you already do know, Master Silas," he spoke in a funny tone as I took a look at his face, "It is never a good idea to engorge yourself in these kind of things, so I cannot allow you to drink to the brink of unconsciousness" The man with a silver ponytail nodded.

"Jakob," I could barely say, "Give me the drink. I deserve to have more and more of it until my eyes can no longer open, for the rest of eternity." The man shook his head at my demanding words.

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one Master Silas," he started, "But you must remain strong, stronger than you ever have been. You do remember what Hana and Dyru said correct?" The soldiers were continuously getting louder as they made their order for their drinks, happily rejoicing in such a bloody victory we imposed upon the Nohrians. In honesty, I didn't know how much longer I could take of hearing them.

"Yeah well they ain't here now are they?" I mocked as I stumbled slightly from my stool, "I'm gonna go get my drink right now before I leave, do take care will ya Jakob?"

"I told you no more drinks Master Silas," he warned yet again, "You're much better than this you know…" I started laughing as I faced him.

"You know Jakob, it's hilarious you keep mentioning that I'm so much greater than the average man." I could feel something hot stirring up from within me as I made way back to the bar. "Yet I couldn't protect the one person in my life that mattered to me the most besides our two children that she bravely gave birth to. How do you think that makes me feel Jakob? Huh? How the hell do you think I can live with a burden like that for the rest of my godforsaken LIFE JAKOB?!" He closed his eyes in disgust as he handed the bottle I desired so intimately, placing my hand on the side of it ready to take away. Before this however, he placed another hand on mine and stared into my eyes of hatred.

"…Old boy," he said, "Is this what she would want?" An answer that I wanted to ignore intently, so much that I just yanked the bottle out of his hand while many soldiers stared at me.

"What the hell are all of you ugly bastards looking at?" I questioned as Jakob sighed deeply. "None of you know what loss is…NONE OF YOU!" I could barely make it to the doorway when I stumbled with the bottle in my grasp, but after managing a recovery, the room was completely silent. Without fail, I slumped right out of the building into the heavy storms…

…

(play rain sounds here, pause the other song)

"Can I see you smile for me one last time?" Her voice carried through the empty minds I acquired after taking another swig of Nohr's best whiskey, almost slipping on the mud before my next one. "One more smile…before I go?"

"Stop it!" I screamed, "Stop talking to me! You're dead! You no longer exist!" The bottle remained attached to my lips for another half minute before I finally decided to stop drinking, stumbling to the first sakura tree I saw before I fell on my knee next to it.

"That's right…lovely…," I could hear, "Smile…don't…ever stop…smiling…" I could feel myself well up as I leaned against it, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You…you could've lived without singing that cursed song," I started, "You could've lived to see the surprise our son created for us. We could've won even without your wonderful voice!" I slammed my armor against the tree as lightning struck the ground, blinding my eyes as I continuously growled. "W-WHY?! Why did you have to sing that daunting song?! To weaken that bastard king when Dyru already had things under control?!" The sobbing continued…my sorrow and pain never seemed to come to an end through all this suffering I had gone through. To lose the only woman who could ever deserve me, to lose the only woman who I could never live without…why…?

(Return to Elegance with rain, fits perfectly)

"You are the ocean's great waves~…"

"W-What?"

"Ahhhhh ah ah ahhhhhhhhhhh~" The storms were at its thickest moments when I raised my head to gander my surroundings. In the veil of darkness was a spectrum of light that hovered ever so closely to my body. I wanted to draw my blade, but I was too inebriated to realize that I had left it at our family home. Soon however, I came to realize that this was something I did not want to accomplish, for the spectrum started to take form; an image of a goddess who smiled upon me. As my tears continued to pour, the being had the eyes of the most glorious topaz in the world, the body of the absolute slenderest being. Completed with angelic, long blue hair that hovered in the air, the image was soon completed in my mind. The woman standing before me…she was…

"…No…," I stuttered, "It…can't be…"

"Silas…," she spoke sweetly, "My darling…"

"My forevermore…" This had to be an illusion I was enduring, but for that one moment…I didn't…care. "…Why did you have to go…?"

"You already knew my love," she answered, "It wasn't something I was prepared for, but it had to be done Silas…for our family, for Hoshido…" I shook my head.

"No, Dyru had everything under control. When the Yato came to, he was already going to lunge it deep into the dragon's heart." The woman closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her shoulders.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness for sacrificing myself in such a way Silas," she began, "And I feel terrible about it." Her cold hand could be felt before my cheek, my immediate response to grasp it in the process. "But the only thing I can ask you to do for me is…continue to smile Silas. Smile for me…for our family…for you." The sobbing came back.

"H-How can you expect something so huge of me when the light of my life has gone?" I asked her, "How can I be happy again when you are no longer here with me Azura…?" Her nose pressed against mine.

"Because the man I chose to be my husband has and always will be you Silas," she answered, "The strong and courageous Silas that gave his life to side with Dyru and his beloved wife, the Silas that would give his life for Hoshido despite being a Nohrian at heart, the Silas who already won my affections the moment his eyes were set upon mine…" I could feel her lips pressing onto mine, embracing her in such a passionate way in return. When we seized ourselves, she veiled my body with her soft arms while her hair danced in the cold winds. "I would rather you be happy for the remainder of your life than to fret over my vanishing body…I know something like this is really hard to grasp after you lose someone you really care about…but…I need you to do this for me…ultimately…do this…for yourself…my love…" For my former wife to ask me something of this was a truly heartbreaking last favor to follow through with. I had everything ready for her when the two of us came back to the Dragon Temple: Shigure spent months upon months perfecting his absolute best painting of the two of us when we were under the sakura tree I proposed to her from, while Sophie had already perfected her wondrous skills with Avel so we could see her attend her first horse show in the southern region of Hoshido. I couldn't be anymore hurt from such thoughts that surfaced my mind…but would it truly be selfish of me to dwell on such feelings?

"…Azura…," I whispered, "I won't make promises, but I will do the very best I can as your one and only knight to uphold your honor…I swear it…" I could feel her smiling against my lips.

"…That is all I ask of you Silas…" The two of us slumped down the tree as she rested her hips in my lap, facing me. "I promise you…we will see each other again…our family will soon become one and your suffering will end forevermore…but for now, you must be brave…please…"

…

My eyes embraced the darkness for quite some time before they decided to open on their own. Even as such, I came to realize I wasn't in my own room. The surroundings were brown at first since my vision was still astray, but as it became clear, the walls were dark brown with portraits covering each wall. The room may have been slightly dark if not for the lit candles and the roaring fireplace to guide my sore eyes.

"Where…where am I?" As I rose up from the comfortable bed I lied upon, I came to the realization that my armor had completely disappeared. In fact not a tunic was in sight, only my exposed chest. As I continued to look around, there was a woman sitting at an easel, painting away not to turn to the sounds I was creating. She had shiny brown hair in the form of a royal ponytail that stuck out to the side of her head, and she was embraced by a black kimono with red roses all around it as for its designs.

"Don't move too much," she spoke in a stern voice, "I imagine your head is throbbing right now. If you keep at it then you're only going to get hurt even more." To her surprise, that wasn't my biggest problem at the moment.

"Why…or rather, where are my clothes?" I asked her as she stopped her elegant movements.

"You were unconscious in the rain when I found you," she answered, "Soaked to the bone. If you had been out there a little longer, you probably would've never recovered. As a result, I brought you into my home and had to remove your clothing so you wouldn't catch a cold…or soak up my floors." She pointed her paintbrush to the fireplace where I could see my garments I wore under my armor, neatly hanging on a rod to dry. I took the woman's advice and slowly rose up from my bed so I wouldn't cause any more pain to myself. "Perhaps you didn't hear me Silas," she spoke again, "If you continue to move, you will damage your head more." Maybe I heard her wrong…

"I-I'm sorry," I apologized, "My hearing hasn't been as good lately-" Suddenly, I realized something. "Did you call me Silas? How do you know my name?" The woman slowly turned to face me, giving me somewhat of a friendly smile. She bore dragon ears, just like Dyru and his daughter had, and the same dark red eyes. There was a slight scar across her nose, and she appeared…smaller than her friend.

"I'm not surprised you forget my name," she continued, "We've been separated a few times during the war so we didn't get to see each other much out of that."

"…Angie?" I spoke, "Is that you?" She nodded silently as she faced her easel yet again to continue her painting.

"Your memory seems to be harmed," she commented, "Perhaps you had too much to drink?"

"I…soiled in alcohol?" I asked as she giggled.

"I take it you're a lightweight?" she questioned, "You must've thought you could drink a whole bottle of Nohrian Whiskey by yourself. I have to admit, you have pretty good taste, but nothing can beat Hoshidan Mead."

"But aren't you a Nohrian yourself?" Her elegant movements came to a halt at my question, silence emitting the dark atmosphere we were both surrounded in. Slowly, she placed her paintbrush down and rose up from her stool, making way towards her cupboard to gather some materials.

"My heart has always belonged to Nohr," she suddenly spoke, "Growing up in that tower with Dyru was an experience I could never forget. Each passing day he would come to see us as if we were his own children, his maids tending to us as we continued to grow." She came back to the stool with a tray in her hand presenting me a glass cup filled to the rim with something brown in it. As the aroma caught my nose, I could tell it was a subtle yet sweet drink she had prepared for the both of us. "Won't you have some hot chocolate?" Gladly, I took her gracious offer and had a few sips myself while she placed the tray on her small table.

"I think this is the first time in a long time we've sat like this," I told her, "I can't remember when we had crumpets and such together." She closed her eyes and nodded peacefully.

"It was like this when Dyru and I were back at the castle together too," Angie commented, "When Elise and Leo would come to see us, they would always tell stories of the soldiers who fought bravely for us. Well…at least that's what Leo would say. When it came to Elise, she couldn't stop bantering about ghost stories in Cheve when Camilla attended with her. To see Leo bicker to her about how childish she was sounding…it was cute and relaxing." She closed her eyes. "Of course, those memories would've been alive even to this day had he not raised his blade to attack…"

"His blade…?"

"I know it was something Dyru had to do, but…" She almost couldn't find herself to continue…that was, until she gazed into my eyes. "Silas…if I tell you something, do you promise not to say anything to Dyru? Not to anybody ever?" I nodded silently. "Swear to me Silas, this is very crucial, and I couldn't forgive myself if Dyru ever found out…please…?" What was she talking about?

"I promise on my honor as a knight that I will never spill a word to anyone Angie," I answered truthfully, "We may have not got to bond that long, but if your allegiance is still pledged for Dyru's cause, then I cannot have a place to say anything." She sighed and smiled.

"Thank you Silas…" It was silent for a moment, only the sounds of the rain clashing onto the rooftop were interfering with our peace. Then…she spoke. "Since the war has ended, and after the day of celebration, I had confined myself to this very room, pledging to paint for the rest of my days until I expire out of this world. I have always done this in my solitary moments, but for a special occasion does this painting behind me have a meaning to the life I once had…"

"I see…"

"I started this painting back when we liberated Cheve, around the time Prince Ryoma showed his face to everyone. It is a depiction of myself, two children, and a man." She paused for a moment. "After we crossed the border I was familiar with, I found time to separate myself from all of you to meditate on things Uncle Azama spoke to me about in a private session. When I found the answer I was seeking, I traveled back to Nohr by myself through Windmire when it was public, going through the underground sewers to emerge back in the castle. In that moment, I trailed back to the tower where Dyru and I were kept, pondering about the memories we had when he came to us, making sure we were ok, serving us his best Nohrian steak, caring for us…" Things were starting to sound strange…so I had to ask her.

"…And this man you speak of…," I spoke, "He was…?" She gulped…almost to the point of breaking into tears. It was here that she spoke of one name that would become the critical moment of this confession, a name that would make me question everything we've done up to this point in time. The man she was speaking about was…

"Xander…" My eyes widened, heart sinking in shock to her very response, a one-word reply that paralyzed my thoughts.

"…Xander?" Suddenly, things started to make sense! "Y-You mean…the man in that painting, the two children…a-are you meaning to suggest that…y-you were…?!"

"Yes…," she answered, "I was married to Xander the Nohrian Prince." I…I couldn't even…the words…

"B-But how?!" I asked loudly in surprise, "X-Xander was dead-set in destroying us all! How was it that he found the time to be with a woman who fought for Hoshido?!" She took a sip of her hot chocolate…and continued her dark story.

"On one of my runs, I made it to the tower only to find Xander there, waiting for me. He was alarmed at first, wanting to call in his guards to seize me for my betrayal. But before he could do that…I…I wept at his feet. In his moment of being seized, I explained to him everything that I felt while staying here in Hoshido, how my heart was broken that despite what happened to our mother that I wanted to desperately return back to Nohr where I felt happier. He was silent at my words, then asked me why I left in the first place. The only answer I could come up with, and it was a truthful one, was that I wanted to see our mother. To know that Dyru and I had a wonderful mother back in Hoshido who waited to see us was a feeling that I couldn't just simply avoid. For that moment, I was truly weak…I betrayed our homeland just to have our mother taken away from us in the blink of an eye. But no matter what happened, I gave in to Dyru's explanation and stayed here in Hoshido even if it tore me apart on the inside out. It was the first time Xander held me in his arms as a woman that very moment…apologizing at how terrible he felt for keeping us locked up for so long. With him carrying the blame, he sent me on my way back to our group with supplies, telling me I was not allowed to come back."

"But it didn't stop there…did it?"

"No…" The rain was taking our notice at her answer. "I kept coming back to the tower to see him every night, no matter how long the journey was. Each time his words were emptier and emptier, almost as if he enjoyed having me around for his company. One night…I finally came to the realization that I had fallen in love with him, so I mustered up my courage to confess…and he finally gave in, saying such things to me that a husband would only tell his wife." She placed her cup down. "That same night, we had made love in the bed he slept in…soon to find myself bearing his children." Something struck me as she spoke that last sentence.

"Forgive me for asking Angie, but I feel there is a gray area in what you are saying. How is it that you were able to have his children without Dyru and the others noticing?"

"That's when our time together had become less and less Silas," she answered, "When I grew a belly, Xander and I spent time together in a Deeprealm he found just under the castle. Because the time flies by faster there, I was able to have my children in a week, two weeks tops for both. It was…a lot of pain to endure, but Siegbert and Kana were born to us in such a short amount of time. Xander wouldn't allow me to leave until I could fully recover…so I stayed with him awhile until I heard you guys were just arriving at Windmire…" I nodded at her valid response, not posing to argue about it any further. Still, this was a shock to me, I couldn't believe that our very own Angie married the enemy!

"Did you plan on ending the war with this Angie?" I asked her.

"I wanted nothing more than that Silas," she answered, "For both countries to live in peace with one another where nobody had to die for an earthly cause. However, King Garon wouldn't have it any other way…so what has been done cannot be undone unfortunately…" I placed my hand on hers, forcing the girl to take notice of my movements.

"I'm deeply sorry for your suffering Angie…," I told her meaningfully, "I know…what it's like to lose a loved one…"

"I know you do," she responded, "That's why I had confidence in telling you all of this without fear…" She held mine. "When I heard you all arrived at Windmire, I rode on my horse and made way to meet up with you…only to find that none of you were there and had already gone through the passage way. I couldn't…make it in time to stop Dyru's strike…" Silence had emitted the room for a few moments…the two of us just sitting in the dark room as the fire continued to roar. This woman…Angie…she and I had more in common than I originally thought. We were lonely after losing our loved ones, in fact, the two of us were actually forbidden to have fallen in love with the ones we cared about the most. Because a lot of people hated Azura, any man who had the courage to say something to her would be shunned forever. I would rather except that kind of fate before becoming a knight any day…and to have someone beside me who understands that kind of fate would forever be my best friend to the end.

Angie would be in for a surprise soon, because when these seven days were over would it be the time that I give her the embrace of a life time…the four arms of her two sons…

 **Boom, shocking event is shocking, least I hope with you readers LOL**

 **Anywho, tell me what you guys think! Leave some reviews below! :o**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back!**

 **Ok, not going to lie, this next one is one of my favorite contributions to this particular story. It stars Subaki and Felicia, and once again, I remind everyone that is reading this one thing. The coolest part about becoming a writer, or even a fanfic writer, is you get to take bland characters and turn them into something truly unique. One of my co-writers told me that I really outdid myself with this one, so hopefully, I can do the same with you guys! Enjoy it! You're in for one hell of a twist!**

Subaki Felicia

3 Days after Coronation

Location: Kokiri Shrine (Hoshido's 3rd Fort)

"Hmm hm hm hm hmmmm~ Laa la la la laaaaaaatedatedaaaaaaaa~" I was smiling more than usual on this fine morning. I guess it must be because of the rain that cleared away from last night's storm. Although it is always cloudy in at the Kokiri Shrine, the flowers were blooming more beautifully than they ever have; nature at its finest! When Hinoka arrived at the shrine's throne, she couldn't help but smile at me.

"Something's definitely different about you Felicia," she started, "Tell me, what's new?" Her words were bringing me to a huge smile, probably the biggest I'd ever have.

"Today is going to be a super wonderful day," I answered, "Subaki and I are going on our first ever date! He said it was going to be very exciting and I just…I can't WAIT to find out what he has planned!" She giggled at my words, almost busting out into a laugh.

"Are you serious Felicia?!" she exclaimed in hilarity, "You mean you two never went on a date before you got married?!" Oh no, my stuttering words were coming in!

"W-Well," I replied, "I-I…W-We never had time to go on any dates because of t-the war. Subaki said he wanted to f-focus on the war so we could spend our days together for the rest of our l-lives." A nervous laugh followed, something I couldn't help when she helped me move the table I was trying to pick up.

"Well I guess I can understand that," she admitted, "However Azama and I found many times to go on a date before we decided to seal the deal." She chuckled. "Man did I give it to him good." I blushed at her words, trying not to freak out about such…obscene things. When she realized what she said, she immediately lashed out. "H-Hey, I don't mean it that way! I was talking about how he said he was going to wear the pants in our marriage!"

"N-No Lady Hinoka!" I exclaimed with my eyes closed, "I-I didn't assume such a thing!" The sibling of Hoshido sighed at my remarks, and then smiled at me.

"Look," she started, "This is your first date, so don't be nervous about what's to come OK? I've known Subaki for a long time, and he's had many dates before he decided to settle down with you. All of them were successful so I'm sure this one is going to be just as exciting as his others!" My heart sank at her words…

"…He had…others before me?" I questioned in sadness, "This isn't…his first time?" Hinoka shook her head.

"Trust me those experiences didn't mean anything to him except that he tries to be perfect. His heart was broken more times than you could count on your fingers and toes, but he always sprung back to be a better person for it." She placed her shoulder on mine and smiled. "Since he settled down with you, this date is going to be the absolute most perfect because he knows in his heart you deserve the best. Don't let his past interfere with this, I feel dumb for talking about his previous ventures and I apologize for that, but you should know the truth hon. It's those experiences that made him the best person he could ever be to this date, so be happy. He's going to make it amazing…I promise." Something struck a chord in me at her words however.

"Wait a minute Hinoka," I started, "You said…his dates were successful right? Then how come his heart was broken? I can't imagine something like that happening if everything went so well with his dates…" The princess helped me dust off the table we moved closest to the shrine's throne during such a talk. When we were just finishing up, she glanced into my eyes with a stern expression on her face.

"I think you're going to have to ask him to find out for yourself Felicia," she answered as she walked towards her steed and stroke the side of its neck, "Listen, I came by here to drop some things off for the hot springs and the accessory shop. It's a little errand I'm running for Oboro and Hinata before they pack up and go. I'm going to be riding back and forth from here and the Dragon Temple before I leave for the capital so I can help Takumi commission the repairs. By the time I'm finished with my errands you may be back from your date. You have to tell me all about it by then, OK? I know I didn't seem caring about it before but the truth is you're a close friend to us all, even if you were a Nohrian to begin with. I'm actually pretty excited to hear about it when you're through!" I smiled slowly at her kind words.

"T-Thank you Lady Hinoka," I said, "I really appreciate your kindness." She smiled as she mounted up on her pegasi, stroking it gently before she maneuvered it towards the first step of the small staircase.

"Best of luck to you Felicia!" she exclaimed, "Tell Dyru I said hi if you see him coming through today!" When the winged beast released them, the two took off to their first stop around the sacred rock. I continued cleaning around the throne before Lady Sakura would show up and sit upon it. It was a lot of hard work considering the storm that passed through, but I've sharpened my skills as a maid ever since Dyru told me I was doing very well. After I finished up, everything around me turned black, freezing me in place with fear.

"A-Ah!" I exclaimed, "W-Why is everything suddenly so dark?!" It was at this moment that I could feel a warmth against the back of my body, hair brushing up against the side of my head…greeting my ear with a warm cloud of breath.

"Guess who…?" The warmth in his voice crawled down the front of my neck, bringing to me a sensational chill that I longed for all day. A feeling such as this brought a smile to my face.

"You know," I started, "If I was holding dishes in my hands, I'm pretty sure the expenses would be taken directly from my pay…Subaki…" I could feel his lips pressed onto my cheek, wrapping his arms around my hips in a warm embrace as I leaned my head into the left side of his shoulder. I was soon greeted with a gentle kiss to my soft neck forcing me to shudder quietly as I placed my hand on his cheek, leaving the other on his soft hands.

"I thought it best to sneak up on the one who always brings surprises to my beloved heart," he commented, "Have you finished cleaning everything?" I nodded softly yet nervously.

"Y-Yes," I answered, "I-I'm going to get dressed so we can go. Did you figure out where we were-"

"No need to dress fancy," he interrupted, "We're going to do something interesting today, so casual clothing is the necessity." I noticed something different about Subaki's attire today. He wasn't dressed in his normal Falcon Knight outfit he wore to battle. He bore a simple red tunic with a pair of black pants, completed with a long black cape he wore around his neck. Of course he wore his riding boots for his mount to…wait a minute…

"S-Subaki," I stuttered, "Where are we going exactly?" He gave his typical smile of perfection that I couldn't resist.

"If I was a perfectionist that I claim myself to be then I wouldn't reveal the surprise," he answered, "Just get yourself ready, no need to primp yourself up however. That won't be necessary. I'll wait for you at the entrance of the shrine." He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and lead his steed over to the rock. I had to admit, I was…actually really nervous. Hinoka's words were still echoing in my mind when I thought about Subaki's little surprise. If his dates were so perfect, then how did his heart end up in failure? I was starting to suspect that the two fractions were connected somehow; that it could possibly have an impact on our date we are having today. These thoughts would come to mind even while I was changing my clothes in my room. When I slipped into cleaner undergarments, I stood in front of the mirror to look at myself. I decided to wear the same colors as my beloved, a tunic with a red cape and a pair of shorts, riding boots to accompany his so we could match. Today I decided to take my hair out of a ponytail, letting it fall below my shoulders like a flowing river.

"…It feels great not to make myself look pretty for someone I care about," I said to myself, "Although I wonder if a perfectionist would approve of this getup?" I smiled brightly after I did a twirl. "Then again, I do look like a runaway princess…so romantic." I sighed as I made way towards the door. "O-OK Felicia…don't screw this up, don't screw this up. It's just a date, nothing more, nothing less…" I continued muttering to myself as I stepped out of the doorway. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people thought I was weird for saying such things, especially if they saw me speaking to nobody as I continued walking down the pathway. I didn't care though; for an exciting day like this it shouldn't affect the outcome of such a wonderful occasion that my husband and I were about to experience for the first time.

"Ah, you made it. That didn't take very long." In front of me was the man I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, his pegasi clothed with only a saddle and the comfort pad. There was a breast collar tied to the saddle and the two cinches to keep everything in place, and tied to the bit that is attached to the bridle were the reins he used to navigate the horse any way he wanted. I smiled brightly at his steed.

"He looks charming," I said, "More charming than usual. This must be an interesting kind of date you have planned." He smiled back at me with an embrace.

"You're perfect," he complimented, "You look just like a runaway princess…" I blushed as I kissed his lips softly.

"I was just…telling myself that earlier," I replied, "I can't believe we thought the same thing…" He chuckled as he carried me like the princess I was, a surprised gasp leaving my body followed by a giggle.

"Ready to run away together?" I couldn't help but make the smile I contained bigger than it was. He really was such a romantic~.

"The world is ours for the keeping my love," I answered, "I want to see what it is you have planned for us." The man placed me on the front side of the saddle, lacing me up perfectly so I wouldn't fall off. He followed afterwards, saddling himself up right behind me as he leaned into my neck.

"I have a confession to make," he said, "The truth is I haven't rode like this in a long time since I had to use Gracia as my battle pegasi." He embraced me, holding my hands as I hugged his. "This will be a very special ride to commemorate that day when I first got Gracia, and the best part is I get to experience this for the second time with the one I loved since I set my eyes on her…" My heart started to race, not from passion, but…fear. Hinoka's words came back to my mind once more; the many dates this man had been on. I know I shouldn't think of such things, but I couldn't help it. Was I really the only one for him this time? Was I really the good wife he wanted? "Felicia? Are you OK?"

"H-Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said? About this particular ride?" I nodded softly but nervously yet again.

"I-I did love," I answered, "B-But I have to admit, the sudden realization that I've never rode a pegasi just settled in, and if I…remember right, I'm actually pretty terrified of heights…" I could feel Subaki frowning after he sighed.

"We don't have to fly if you don't want to dear," he remarked, "I didn't know such a thing about you. Maybe I should've talked to you about it fi-"

"N-No Subaki," I interrupted, "I've always dreamed of doing something like this with you. I wouldn't let my own selfish fears get in the way, I couldn't pass this up!"

"Are you sure honey?" I nodded nervously yet again.

"A-Absolutely," I answered, "Just…promise me that you'll hold my body tightly within your grasp. I want to go any distance that I can with you, no holding back…" I smiled at him when I said these words, kissing him one more time on the lips softly.

"I'm glad you can make my dream come true again," he affirmed, "I promise this is one date you will never forget my frozen angel…" I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in this moment. I was about to fly on a pegasi, a real live pegasi!

"O-OK!" I exclaimed, "Let's go!"

"Right you are my dear," he agreed, "Gracia, take flight!" He reached for the reins as the horse extended its wings and began to flap in rhythm. "We'll go slow at first, then when you're ready, we'll ride as fast as we can."

"O-OK!" I replied. Soon after, the horse started gaining a bit of lift, hovering above the ground slowly but surely. "…This is crazy this is crazy this is crazy this is crazy…" The horse took off into the sky at a slow pace, keeping my eyes closed the entire time as Subaki continued to control the horse as much as possible. It was here that I closed my eyes tightly, not daring to look around me as we continued to fly higher and higher.

"Are you alright dear?" he asked as I nodded.

"Y-Yes," I answered, "J-Just please don't let me go!" I could feel him wrapping tightly around my body as the reins rested in my lap. He was really about to take off!

"Ready?!"

"Y-Yes! Go as fast as you can!"

"An order I will fulfill for my lovely runaway princess!" he exclaimed, "YAH!" In an instant, I could feel the breeze rushing through my hair at an extreme pace, causing me to scream as if I was on a hectic ride of sorts. What was I saying: I'm RIDING on a crazy pegasi! "Hang on tight Felicia! We're going beyond our horizons here!" I did just that, not a single moment of opening my eyes when the harsh winds continued to rush through us, a harsh greeting pressure awaiting our position. The ride in an instant became pleasant, almost as if we had come to a standstill. "Ok my love…you can look now…" This was a moment in my life I was never going to forget as long as I lived. The very second I opened my eyes, my jaw gaped in awe at the wondrous sight before me. We were above an ocean of clouds without a sight of land anywhere in our vision, only the beaming sun and the blue skies where stars could actually be seen. In a way, we were a small boat rowing through what seemed to be another world….

"S-Subaki…" I was truly stunned…I couldn't even find the words for what I was seeing. "This…This is really…I've…I've never seen anything more beautiful in my entire life…" He held my hand at my words and smiled.

"And it is all yours…," he told me, "For however long you want it to be…" I kissed him passionately for a few seconds, coming to a still as the horse continued to hover above the heavens.

"Let's…keep riding Subaki," I said, "Show me everything you've got on her. I want to experience it all with you."

"Gladly milady," he affirmed, "I won't hold back on you…" He called to his horse once again as it proceeded to dive bomb into the vast sea of clouds, and for the first time in a really long time, I actually cheered in happiness of our little adventure. As we rode downwards, the horse began to spiral, leaving me with the happiest of expressions as I called out in thrill of how much I was enjoying being with him like this. If this was the real life of a Pegasus Knight, I definitely wanted to experience more thrills as such. After a furious dive bomb, we flew in a shuttle loop back into the skies of heaven at the highest speed we ever could, trailing all of the clouds we rode through behind. The man behind the horse seemed to have perfected an idea as he smiled. "Watch this!" He flew through the clouds one more time and leaned to the left with the reins, forcing the horse to spin around the one isolated cloud. I almost wanted to raise my hands in the air, cheering and calling happily to the ride I was enjoying. When he flew away from the cloud, he turned the horse around and pointed at it. I gasped excitedly: when we drove around the cloud, it seemed to have created the delectable desert in a swirl fashion we served back in Nohr!

"H-How did you do that Subaki?!" I exclaimed, "That looks so yummy that I want to eat it right up!" He laughed cheerfully with a smile so bright it made me blush.

"Just a random idea that popped into my head dearest!" he exclaimed, "How are you liking this date so far?!" He quickly got his answer without hesitation.

"This is amazing! I never thought flying could be so…so FUN!" Seeing his happy expression warmed my heart that was constantly surrounded in ice. I never thought I could fall in love with a man so wonderful in my entire life. If he could show me a life like this with no fear, then he just had to be the one for me. How dare could I question myself if I truly was the right one for him…?

"I have one more surprise for you," he said, "We'll have to go back to the ground for this one. Are you prepared?" I nodded enthusiastically.

"Y-Yes!" I exclaimed, "I want more! Please!"

"Then more you shall have! YAH!" The horse neighed at his command and began to dive bomb through the clouds at an intense speed. Because the wind was so harsh, I had to keep my eyes closed so my eyes would quit burning. Shortly after our descending, we could see the ocean and all of the land below us coming into our view. "Surf! YAH!" The horse spread its wings outward and made way towards the ocean, barely skimming it as the waters began flying outward. We were now gliding along the waters of the world!

"This is amazing!" I screamed, "I wish we could've done this more often!"

"It's a thrilling experience, isn't it?!" he called out, "This is what it's like to be a true Falcon of the Pegasus Knights!" I slowly began to spread my arms outward like a seagull along the ocean waters, feeling as if I was truly flying. As I did this, I could feel Subaki holding onto my soft love handles when I looked into the heavens once more from below. Soon after, we made way back towards the lands in search of the surprise Subaki had, the last one for our date…

…

The skies around us grew dark as Gracia continued to surf along the white snow in the ground. Winds began to pick up fiercely, slowing our movements down to a halt. I was enjoying such cold weather, however, Subaki and his horse on the other hand were shivering nonstop.

"Subaki," I began, "Are you OK?" He nodded softly at my question.

"Y-Yes," he said through chattering teeth, "We're almost there, just bear with me a moment. YAH!" The horse took flight after a short rest and made way back into the snowy skies of naught. I had a feeling that I knew where he was going, since the air was getting colder and colder as we continued moving. I had to ask myself: why did he want to go there? Is he even going there?

"Are we going to the Ice Tribe Village Subaki?" I asked, "If so, w-we should've made sure you and Gracia were fully prepared for this trip!"

"Just enjoy it Felicia," he responded, "We'll be there soon enough, I promise!" I nodded silently, holding onto his hands in an attempt to heat them up so he didn't get frost bite. The snowy fields were fierce: not a tree rested in sight, only mountains that were familiar to me in the Nohr country. It had to be the Ice Tribe Village. Where else would he go?

"Wait…," I said, "We're in Nohr right? Why are we…" The darkness was just as thick as the snowstorm we were flying through, but still, my eyes were able to make out an image and the outer lines of it in the distance. When the two of us arrived, the image I saw came into view: a log cabin that was abandoned due to the lack of care and any people around it. Next to it was also an abandoned barn covered in ice patches along the ground. I came to realize soon that these were crystals that formed from the ground up, giving the barn a mystical appearance. We landed on the ground next to the cabin, Subaki helping me off the horse as he carried me to the door.

"Here," he spoke, "Get inside the cottage and make yourself at home. If you flicker the switch next to the door, the red stone will light up the place for you. I'll be inside in a few minutes. I'm going to place Gracia in the barn and make sure she has fresh food and water."

"B-But Subaki," I responded, "I…What is this place? It looks…pleasant!" He kissed me on the cheek, leaving me with a smile.

"I'll tell you when I get inside," he answered, "I think you're going to love it here." I nodded and did just that: I opened the door and went inside the cottage…

…

watch?v=0fYL_qiDYf0

In the darkness, I placed my hand on the wall to search for the switch Subaki had mentioned before I entered the cabin. It was cold, just the way I liked it despite the warming sun's rays back in the Dragon Temple. This would change my likes of the cold however, as my fingers swirled around a circular object on the wall. The moment I pressed on it, a red light began to glow on the wall, slowly traveling along the ridges and onto what I suggested to be the ceiling. There was a red glow traveling south of the switch as well, breaking off into different sections of the cabin as it traveled around the interior. I could only watch in awe at the mysterious contraption Subaki put together, how beautiful the red glow appeared to me as it began to spread all over the inside of the cabin. After half a minute, the glows came to a halt and began emitting brighter light, revealing candles that brought warmth to the atmosphere around me. The cabin lit up as brightly as a bonfire, revealing the interior design that brought me to amazement at how beautiful it really was on the inside! The floors were all made of the finest wood, shiny and clean as proven by the chandelier that lit up from the power of the red stone switch when the light reflected off such divine floors; definitely not your typical cabin where most floors were made of stone. The walls of course were made from logs, but there was something different about them. Each log seemed to have been polished with the aid of a solvent it seemed, clean compared to the natural wood from cutting down trees. If these logs came from Nohrian trees, it would definitely explain why there were no trees in this particular region of Nohr. Surrounding the fireplace that soon lit up due to the red stone were two couches made of the finest fluffy material, which I believe came from a multitude of sheep coats when they were sheered. In front of both couches was a coffee table that had light from the chandelier reflecting off of it, polished that could've been made from mahogany wood. Resting on it were a couple of books on horseback riding and a history book that regarded a pegasi's origin. There was one chair diagonally across from the table with a single throw pillow on it, and under the table leading up to all seating objects was a giant rug containing…the Royal Nohr Family Emblem? This definitely raised a question in my mind: was this really Subaki's cabin or did it actually belong to someone else? I continued my observations at the fireplace that quickly warmed my body up: upon it were two urns on each side of a portrait that visualized a family. It seemed to be a pretty sm all family: a tall man with short red hair wearing a royal suit standing with one of the most beautiful women I had e ver seen in my entire life. She had long black hair, green eyes, and the friendliest smile I ever witnessed, wearing a summer yukata in high heels. Below those two was a boy with short crimson hair and the cutest smile, he bore a shocking resemblance to his father. I continued my tour through the area behind the fire place to find the kitchen in the finest and cleanest order I have ever seen! The wooden stove and the cabinets were polished to a gleam, light reflecting off of it from yet another chandelier that was lit up from the red stone switch. Next to the last cabinet against the wall was a large mahogany bookshelf filled to the brim with what I believed to be cookbooks and other tomes that told folklores of the mythical history. The largest window was the actual wall itself, which upon looking outside revealed a large slope leading down to a dock containing a boat big enough to fit a multitude of families. Despite how cold it was outside however, the humongous lake before me wasn't frozen at all. When I turned around to face the last wall, I actually gasped in surprise. There was a second floor yet to be explored, for there was a spiral-shaped staircase made yet again from the finest mahogany! The other side of the fireplace was interesting: it was wide enough to actually support a bar that was bigger than the one back at the Dragon Temple. When I opened the latch to get behind the bar, I observed a huge shelf, four rows, filled to the brim with many different unopened bottles of the finest brands of alcohol from Nohr and even Hoshido. Wine, whiskey, mead, sake, you name it, each type was all here! When I approached the serving side of the bar, there were many casual cups in place next to the finest wine glasses forged from the Nohrian blacksmiths in tapestry. There were even recipe books on how to make mixtures of the drinks altogether…a true mixologist guide! I couldn't put my finger on it exactly, but something was definitely strange about this place, and I was sure to reveal the mysteries behind it when I could sit down with Subaki and talk to him all about it.

I could hear the door opening as I left the bar after closing the latch, making way back into the main room when he closed the door behind him, stripping the cape off of his neck and hanging it on the wooden hook as he took his tunic off revealing his muscular physique. I blushed as he turned around to smile at me.

"I see you've taken the tour by yourself," he observed, "How did you like it? Not what you were expecting was it?" What else did he want me to say?!

"It looks even BIGGER on the inside compared to first appearances on the outside!" I exclaimed, "S-Subaki, how did you even get a place like this all to yourself?! This is more amazing than I could ever imagine!" He started laughing when I made my last statement and closed his eyes.

"Answers you will receive all in due time," he replied in a mysterious tone, "For now, let's settle down for a moment and warm up. It's definitely colder than it was the last time I came out here." I nodded as I placed my boots next to his; he placed his slippers on, the cutest slippers I ever did see. They were fluffy just like the couches, and even dyed a crimson color!

…

We settled down at the table in the kitchen after I made us some Nohrian tea, talking about funny stories when we first met. One of the greatest memories I had with Subaki while at the Dragon Temple was when he flew in from his pegasi, the impact of the winds messing up everything I had just cleaned. I was upset with him at first, but upon looking into his eyes, he definitely caught me by surprise. It was one day after that did I gain the courage to talk to him, a simple exchange of a greeting was all I could think to say at that moment. His first reaction was that he froze in place, not exactly sure what to say when said greeting happened. I was a little mad at him when his first words to me were "The truth is, you're notorious for being a very clumsy person" immediately followed by "I've even heard a rumor that a whole castle once fell due to your blundering ways." I could never have been so angry at him when he said such awful things to me, so angry that I just broke down and started crying! I soaked my cold tears into the sheets I had in my hands and started throwing them at him, watching the poor man flinch as he also grew angry. It was that moment that he became a ghost, unable to see where he was going and tripping over a chair which resulted in destroying all of the dishes I had just polished. Feeling as bad as I did, I came to his aid immediately and took the sheets off of him. After that brief exchange, we went our separate ways. Cooking never felt so depressing a few days later, and I even blamed Subaki for it. I ended up talking to myself once again about this, how it was cruel of him to say that my clumsy nature would affect his fate, and how he didn't have any decency to spare towards me, a Nohrian woman. I did feel bad for throwing my wet sheets at him, which did end up causing him to break all those dishes. In that brief moment, a voice had called out to stop me from making a basic cooking mistake: seasoning. I was about to place sugar in a meat recipe instead of salt! I felt like a klutz at that moment, but the voice struck me as odd to hear when I thought I was in the kitchen by myself, a voice that was all too familiar. When I opened the pantry, there he was, an uncomfortable Subaki who, in the end, actually felt terrible about being so mean to me that other day. It was weird…he said that he hurt my feelings and wanted to see how I was doing, yet…he was hiding in the pantry to do that? I started asking him questions about this, and it seemed like some guy came over and pressed the reset button because all of this repeated yet again, how he didn't want to get wrapped up in my clumsiness! Nothing seemed to change, I got upset again as expected from such a mean thing to say, so to punish his judgmental attitude, I decided to grab a bag of sugar and told him I would pour it all into his dinner! He pleaded not for me to do that to him, so being the nice person that I was, I told him that if he wanted my forgiveness he would step out of the stupid pantry and help me cook for the army. Without hesitation, he gladly accepted. We were able to serve the entire army two to three helpings each, leaving the two of us exhausted from such brutal work. Ever since then, I smiled and hummed beautiful tunes that my mother sang to me when I was little. The man who made me angry yet happy arrived in the kitchen and wanted to know what I was so happy about, so I told him about the meals he helped me cook that evening. He grinned at my words and reminded me how he was the one who prepared the food, while I was gathering stuff and constantly tripping over myself. In one of these instances, I remembered tripping and pouring a whole case of flour over his entire body, and even when he burned his arm protecting me from the hot oil I knocked off the stove. I felt bad about hurting him like that, but I treated his injuries after that night. For the first time, we actually established a connection that felt…right in a way. Of course, even after I offered him to cook with me again, he immediately declined by running away, begging to spare that fate. I sighed and continued doing the work I knew best.

"That's an interesting way to meet someone isn't it?" he asked with a laugh, "I can't believe I was acting in such a way towards you when we were just getting to know each other." I couldn't help but giggle.

"Though we were so mean to each other," I replied, "We actually bonded with one another through such disastrous experiences." I placed my tea cup down on the table. "I don't regret those moments…ever."

"I don't either," he agreed, "It put a dent on my perspective of how people are around me versus what I thought about them." He got up from the table and proceeded to take my tea cup as well as his, placing them onto the cabinet next to the stove. When he came around, he kissed the back of my head and embraced me from behind. "Shall we adjourn to the living quarters of the cabin?"

"Yes please." Like the damsel he envisioned, he carried me to the couch and sat on it, leaving me to sit on his lap sideways where my legs were hanging off of his. My face was as red as a cherry's at that moment when I could feel his warmth caressing my body. We were silent for a moment…until I spoke again. "Subaki…"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember how we even got together like this?" I asked as I looked into his face fishing for the expression I knew I was going to get. And just as expected, I did. The man closed his eyes, blushing as he leaned against the side of my head.

"I do," he answered, "This recollection of events can't exactly be forgotten. We had just finished grocery shopping together for the next meal I reluctantly, at first, wanted to prepare with you…"

"Mhm…" I leaned into his shoulder and rested my head on it as he leaned back into the couch, continuing our story.

"Despite my reluctance, I remembered being sidetracked the entire day when I was with you. I never could figure out what it was that I thought that day, it was…cloudy up there. But it was after we got back that they grayness of my vision soon became black and white." He slowly reached for my hand while the fireplace continued to roar. "I told you that I had feelings that couldn't be hidden anymore, how I kept telling myself that I was perfect and didn't want to be affected by how clumsy you were." He leaned his head into mine. "But the more I really truly got to know you…the more I realized that I enjoyed the chaos we shared together." My eyes opened as he said those words.

"R-Really?"

"Yes," he answered, "And seeing you smile when we made those meals together was something I truly grew to cherish. I wanted more of it…" I could feel my face blushing as hard as it did when he confessed to me that day. I wanted to experience those memories again. "I never met someone whose personality complemented my own so perfectly…and truth be told…I didn't care if you thought you were a klutz. In my eyes, you are perfect in every way possible, the very result of my gray vision when things had actually turned black and white for me in that moment." I closed my eyes again as I turned his head slowly, kissing his soft lips as he embraced my cheek within his grasp. I almost didn't want to stop…I wanted to keep going, but knowing how shy I was, I had to cease for the moment. There were a couple of things bothering me…the words that Hinoka spoke before and the fact that this cabin exists. I had to ask him. "What's wrong my dear?" As charming as his whispers were, I began asking away.

"Something has been on my mind lately," I started, "And…I really…really don't know how to ask without making you feel…awkward, considering this is…still our date." He kissed my cheek and smiled.

"You can ask me anything you want with no regard," he told me, "Whatever it may be, I will answer it truthfully to perfection, no holds barred." This made me feel a little better, but his reaction is what I was afraid of.

"O-OK…" I took a deep breath in which turned into a long, drawn-out sigh. Here…here it comes. "Am I not the first lady you've…ever held like this?" He tilted his head at my question.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…before you got to the shrine Hinoka just arrived to take care of a few errands. She…" I gulped. "She exchanged some information to me about…your past life before this present time. I wanted to know if it was true because I…couldn't believe it. I didn't want to, I refuse to, but…I just want to know." The worst reaction I could get from what I said was his frown…and his total silence. I could feel my frozen heart…breaking in two.

I was instantly regretting asking such things from Subaki, whether if I got the answer that would destroy me or that I brought up his past that he simply wanted to avoid. Truly, we were quiet for quite a long while, just cuddled up together with the roaring fire in front of us as the red stone's light slowly began to dimmer, causing the chandeliers to lose their light. Despite me asking such a question, he still continued holding my hand, caressing the top of it with his gentle thumb which I'll admit brought me a little bit of comfort. When I glanced at his face to search for an expression, I could only see that his eyes were closed and his frown was still planted on.

"…Subaki…," I finally said, "I-I'm…I'm sorry…"

"…"

"I should've…never asked you something like that. To let my fears get the best of me when they were wrong in the beginning…I feel…like a bigger klutz than I eve-"

"Felicia…" He looked into my eyes that soon forced me to drop a small tear. I think I really hurt his feelings. But to my surprise, I was about to get something else: the answers to all the questions I had been seeking.

"What…what is it?" He faced the fireplace, observing the embers that were tangoing with one another when it was burning away the wood that continued to snap and pop. I could feel his heart racing…not a beat to be missed as my chest rested on his. Was I really about to get the answer I had been seeking?

"…I'm suddenly realizing," he began, "That I am not as perfect as I make myself out to be." I was extremely nervous at his words.

"What are you saying?" I questioned, "You ARE perfect, everything about y-you is exactly what I have dreamed of having in my life! I should've never asked you those questions Subaki and I really, sincerely apologize! P-Please don't be sad…or mad…it's my faul-"

"Felicia," he interrupted, "You have every right to ask me such things, for these things are the reasons I have been purely imperfect for a long time." I was quiet…listening to his words. "However, these situations lead back to a time where things were complicated even before I started dating women, why dating them has been so hard…and overbearingly painful."

"Subaki…" He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Which do you want to hear first?" he questioned, "About the women I have dated in my life and how I ended up being such a mess after? Or do you want to hear about the root of all the chaos that was soon to forge a weapon that would forever symbolize the dishonor in my family?" I was really confused at this point. What…was he talking about?

"I-I didn't think that your dating skills had anything to do with…something like that," I confessed, "I-I…I don't…really know which place to start…" He kissed me on the lips softly, slowly, and passionately, not leaving an inch of my lip uncovered with his essence.

"This cabin," he began, "It's not a random cabin I found in the mountains one day. I'm sure you've figured this out yourself when you took a tour." I nodded softly. "This is the cabin of a family that used to exist here, a cabin where they would go to when they seek peace away from the war. The husband was one of the greatest that has ever lived. He commandeered an army alone with no federal jurisdiction experience to liberate what you would call Cheve to this date. This meant they had to successfully cross a part of the border where nobody would catch them and seize Cheve for Nohr, protecting the freedom and rights of those who lived there."

"B-But…Cheve was already a part of Nohr right?"

"Not exactly. You see, Cheve was neutral, and people who claimed to be Hoshidans wanted it for themselves. They kept making excuses, like how Cheve would benefit more for Hoshido than it would for Nohr. Yet the truth was they would…kidnap children and rape the women of the village. Shortly thereafter, Scarlet became chief of Cheve and with this man's help, the two managed to liberate it from the so-called Hoshidans. She wanted to know who this man was, and though he would only give his name, he didn't release his true identity and what country he hailed from. After experiencing such tragic times, his army returned back to Nohr and quickly dispersed themselves, almost as if they never existed to begin with…"

"…Wow…so he was…a real hero wasn't he?"

"Yes, a real man that many secretly thought was an inspiring individual. A lot of them claimed they met him before, but this was never true. He was like a war ghost, he would appear to help others, then vanish as if he never existed." Subaki closed his eyes. "But just like all ghosts, they always leave a trail that they are real. Cheve slowly started an uprising, which caught King Garon's attention. When he sent spies out to the place, he learned about the man who came to save Cheve from certain destruction from these so-called Hoshidans." Subaki…suddenly clammed up. "…L-Later…it was discovered it was K-King Garon who sent out those posers to destroy Hoshido's reputation…" I didn't…know what to say.

"Th-That's…so horrible…" He cleared his throat.

"So when he found out about the man, he first thought he belonged to Hoshido until his advisor Iago told him it was someone from their own faction. How he was able to make such an accurate statement was unknown, but he found a way to make his life a living hell. Without directly bringing him into custody, he sent more turncoats out to Cheve and made them pillage the place." Subaki closed his eyes. "When it was learned that the man died that day, the mother committed suicide, forcing the boy in that portrait to be an orphan. He traveled to the Ice Tribe Village shortly after his mother's death, adopted by the leader and trained him in the ways of butlery. When the leader learned that Garon was looking for the last member of the man's family, he quickly sent the boy with a messenger atop a pegasi to the Hoshidan Kingdom, where he was adopted into a royal legacy that served Lord Ryoma and his siblings. Soon thereafter, he became a retainer to someone you know very well in the royal family of Hoshido." Wait…did he just say…?

"Someone that…I know?" I questioned.

"Yes…that someone you know very well is one of the blood sisters of Lord Ryoma. To this day he is still a retainer to her…Lady Sakura." I gasped at the thought of such information coming to my mind. I never would've imagined that the person worked for her! I never really delve into her personal affairs, so I didn't know anything about her retainers other than Hana who was married to Lord Dyru.

"But you know about this man?" I asked him as he nodded.

"I do," he answered, "He was a retainer to Xander at the time. Well…after Xander discovered what he did. He and another were his retainers, and when they heard about the turncoats invading Cheve, Xander rode his horse to battle with them. Unfortunately, that was the day this man had lost his life to protecting the prince. The other comrade died in battle as well." Subaki closed his eyes and held me tightly in his arms, more than he ever did in his life. "His sacrifice was noble…he kept Xander alive for his next battle." Something was…definitely strange about his words. This story he was telling…it, in literal terms, had nothing to do with why his dating skills were affected so much. How were these things even related?

"Subaki…," I spoke, "I have to ask, it just…this story begs a question."

"Yes milady?"

"How does…this relate to your dating experiences? What you've told me was a dark yet amazing story about this man, but I still fail to realize the relevance…?" His answer was the final piece of the puzzle, the answer that would link the two situations together, the answer that would drive me to tears. He placed me off of his lap and held my hands tightly, gazing into my star-struck eyes.

"…Because I grew up without a father," he answered, "With nobody to guide me, I forged my way to perfection by making numerous amounts of mistakes. These were things I was practicing once I became Sakura's retainer."

"O-Oh…" In that pivotal moment, I suddenly came to a realization about this particular cabin. The horse books convinced me that this was a place Subaki may have found at first, but all it took was one glance at the family portrait. The small boy in the picture, his face strongly resembled...n-no…it couldn't be! "W-WAIT A MINUTE! TH-THAT BOY IN THE PORTRAIT! THAT BOY IS…YOU…YOU'RE LYING!"

"That's right my love," he said with a defeated smile, "I am the son of Cerxes, one of the two retainers of Xander's who died that day…" My heart instantly skipped many beats at his confession.

"Th-Then…you're not really…N-NO WAY!" I exclaimed, "That would mean your true blood is that of…a…a NOHRIAN'S!" He nodded softly…holding my hands tightly as it all began to make sense. H-His father was the hero who saved Cheve from the turncoats that posed as Hoshidans! His father was one of the two guardians who protected Xander, the supposed enemy of Hoshido! "B-But wait! Something doesn't m-make sense Subaki!"

"Oh?"

"I-In the Records Hall in the Hall of Heroes!" I yelled, "Your birthright claims you to have been born in the family of Hoshido! That couldn't be a lie could it?! Or was the Rainbow Sage's records a…a…"

"It is a ruse…," he replied, "My identity was changed in order to protect me from the hands of Nohr." He glanced into the portrait as I joined him. "If I kept my hair short, they would've found me in the Ice Tribe Village. It was here that the tribe leader gave specific instructions to the coyote who flew me to Hoshido. Under no circumstances was I to keep the name I once bore, or the hair that I had short."

"S-So your real name isn't…Subaki?" He nodded in a regretful manner to my question, his expressions turning sour, not with hatred, but with ultimate forgiveness.

"I'm sorry my love…," he said, "I should've…told you these things long ago when we were wedded. But if I was to preserve my life any longer, I had to keep this a secret from everyone I knew back at the Dragon Temple. If my true origins were to be discovered, I would've been executed by Lord Ryoma and his siblings immediately for treason…" We were silent for a moment, not saying a single word. I couldn't…actually believe it. Subaki wasn't…really Subaki of Hoshido. His true identity is that of Nohrian blood, as mine was.

…as mine was…

"…S-Subaki…" I couldn't control myself anymore. Rather than being upset that he hid all of these things from me, I…I just started crying. All I could think to do was jump into his arms again and hold on tightly…not letting myself go.

"F-Felicia…?"

"…I-I'm…I'm…" I lost it. "…I'M SO SORRY THAT KING GARON DID ALL OF THIS TO YOU!"

"Felicia…" All I could do is weep…

"I NEVER WOULD'VE IMAGINED SOMETHING SO DARK WOULD HAPPEN TO SUCH A PERFECTLY KIND SOUL! IF I HAD KNOWN…i-if…I had known…I would've DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT!" The uncontrollable tears were waterfalling out of my sore eyes, my arms embracing him even tighter than I ever have before. "I'M SO SORRY YOU GREW UP WITHOUT A FATHER BECAUSE OF THAT…THAT…EVIL BASTARD!" He held onto the back of my head and stroked my hair gently…resting his chin on the top of it.

"…It's OK Felicia," he affirmed in a calm voice, "I'm past all of this now…it shouldn't be something that interferes with our lives. It's…all over now." I shook my head at his words.

"N-No…," I stuttered, "Th-This is inexcusable! I-I can't believe I once served under a monster like that! I always knew he was evil but this…this goes beyond everything he has ever done, to rid one of his OWN!" He was…lost for words at that moment. What could the man even say…?

"…If it wasn't for the sacrifices that I made to survive," he spoke warmly, "…I would've…never met someone like you…" I looked into his eyes…and not even having a second thought, I kissed him deeply, roughly even without hesitation. When we stopped, I still couldn't help but cry…

"…I can't believe I questioned us," I said, "Ultimately, questioned myself…" He smiled.

"Felicia…it happens…don't…worry about it. My heart may have been broken more times than I can count…but now that I know you're here…the holes can be filled with your kindness…and your smiles…" The fireplace couldn't have been a better source of heat, for I could feel the ice powers that dwell inside me stir up a storm. Would it be impossible for them to calm down? "…Elric…"

"H-Huh?"

"Elric was my real name, Elric Vaelstorm of the Vaelstorm family. Cerxes Vaelstorm was my father who served as Xander's first retainer, the man who liberated Cheve from destroying itself. I have abandoned that name for a long, long time and have served under Lady Sakura as her retainer alongside Hana…and to this day, my name will forever be Subaki, nothing else…" I shook my head…and pressed my nose against his…

"…Different name…same…man…a man I want to spend the rest of my life with…a man I want to give myself to…a man who I…want to bear a child with…"

"Felicia…"

…

I had never…did anything in a manner like this before…not in my entire life even. I had never…wanted someone so badly, not before Subaki. It made zero difference where we were at the time we had such…thoughts; I wanted him right then and there. Our clothing was thrown all over the room, and our exposed bodies lied on top of one another in front of the roaring fireplace. Every stance we took was passionate: connecting our bodies while capturing our expressions…locking our lips together, and embracing one another. To be one with him was all I ever wanted, no matter how much my first time hurt, no matter his past, no matter about anything…because he was the man I loved and would only love…

Because the war was over, he would protect me in his own care, and we could experience life anew no matter what came to be. Hinoka was told a story of love, sadness, and betrayal, though she already knew the answers to sadness and betrayal, but never expected the love part. She knew we were in love, but she didn't know it was our first time making love, that…sort of beautiful expression we created was something I will never forget.

…For when the 7 days were over, we would spend the rest of our lives in his old family's cabin, recreating the happy conditions Subaki had without the equation of sadness. The greatest joy was brought to us nine months later…

…And her name…would be Caeldori.

 **So the truth of Subaki is revealed to Felicia, how imperfection went on a journey to become the epitome of perfection itself. I hope you all really liked this twist, about Subaki's origins. I loved Sakura's retainers a lot, so it was disappointing to see them so bland and undercooked when they should've been...well, perfect LOL**

 **I'm getting ready to post the next one right now as we speak, and I'm hoping that I can still continue to impress all of you as you read! The next one is by far my absolute favorite of them all, as it is in dedication to my waifu Hana :3 oh how I love her so much 3**

 **Any reviews you'd like to leave? :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome back readers!**

 **Well, here it is, the second to last chapter of the Aftermath series, and is my ABSOLUTE favorite of all time! Dyru and Hana! It's no surprise if you've been reading this series, my Avatar (or I should say me) married Hana, who may perhaps be...one of the most beautiful characters in the entire series. I've looked at every single girl in this game, the fanciest, the ones with big chests, the ones with the most beautiful outfits, or even ones that showed too much skin. But no matter what, even if their personalities were amazing, I still went back to this ONE girl, and it would always be Hana :3 I love this woman to death, and though she is (and lets be honest Intelligent Systems, she is) one of the blandest characters in game, I believe the real story I wrote for Hana will convince all of you her significance in being Sakura's retainer! But that will have to wait for another day, so for now, here it is!**

 **Dyru and Hana!**

 **WARNING: There is explicit adult content ahead, if you do not like it, then you do not have to read it! You have been WARNED!**

Dyru Hana

5 Days After Coronation

Location: Dragon Temple (Hoshido's Main HQ)

"Is this the place?" she asked me as I smiled.

"Sure is," I answered, "This is where I always imagined it." My loving wife giggled when she closed her eyes, feeling the heavenly winds ascend in high volumes against our bodies despite the thick forestry around us. The grass could never have been lusher than today, the sun beaming through the canopies as the rays casted light onto our backs. Evidence of this was the heat we were feeling once we walked into it for awhile.

Today was going to be an interesting kind of day. When Hana and I were wedded the previous year, I presented her with a set of blades that would complement her beautiful yet deadly prowess. For as bubbly and gorgeous as this wonderful woman was, I never knew anyone else besides Ryoma who was more passionate about the ways of the sword. Laced to her backside in an X formation were two sheaths, one red covered in real cherry blossoms, and one blue decorated in cypress. Before we went further, she placed her hands on the hilt of both sheaths...smiling with her eyes closing.

"…Dyru." Her expression was different…almost sad.

"What is it honey?" She continued standing still…brushing her thumbs against her hilts.

"…I never got the chance to use these on Garon," she started, "I was surprised more than anything that you refused me to." It was here that her eyes had opened as she gazed into mine. "Tell me…why is it that you didn't want me to?" I turned away and faced the tree before me, a thick oak that had been sapping lately.

"…Because…they're not ordinary swords."

"I imagined so. That's why I gave them beautiful names…" I gasped at her words when I turned right back around.

"Y-You mean you…already unsheathed them?" I questioned as she nodded. Slowly, the blade from the cherry blossom began to shine as she pulled it out, the light nearly blinding the two of us when the sun's rays poured onto it.

"…Oathkeeper," she said, "The blade blessed by Hoshido's wondrous light that represents the blessing that you and I have created together when our bodies intertwined; as it is the guardian of the sun…" The other blade covered in cypress gave a black glow as she pulled it out as well, closing her eyes as she slowly stabbed it into the ground. "…Oblivion, the sword gifted with the darkness of Nohr, representing the end of chaos and forging a new path of conquest and royal power that will never end, the lord of the moon…" She pulled it back out and placed the two swords against her back, looking into my eyes. "At first I found it strange that you would give me such lovely weapons, the Nohrian blade shocked me most of all. But…honestly, after I thought about it, it seemed to make sense because of the union Ryoma established with Nohrians after the war was over…" I smiled as I moved in to kiss her forehead softly.

"It looks like you've figured out why I gave you the weapons in the first place," I told her, "and why I didn't want you to use them right away…" She smiled after dropping them onto the ground, falling into my arms so she could reach up to kiss me. With my arms wrapped around her, I picked her up by her bum and placed her against the oak tree, with no restraint as I held her hands on the wood. I could hear a slight moan escaping her lips as she pulled away from mine.

"D-Dyru…," she could barely say, "…N-Not here…" I nodded as we both giggled, interlocking lips a little more before placing her down. "B-Besides, that's…not what we're here for, remember?"

"Of course my princess," I answered, "I know exactly why we're here…" She slowly paced herself over to her blades, picking them up as she turned to face me with them at the ready. At a snail's pace, my hand reached for the hilt of the Blazing Yato, smiling as she gave me a nervous expression.

"…D-Dyru," she began, "Are you really sure you want to do this? I've picked up a few new tricks while you and Kana were on your delivery…and I'm honestly afraid to use them against my own husband…" A chuckle escaped my lips.

"I expect no less from the wife I'm married to," I responded in a playful manner, "No hesitation my little winter blossom…I'm ready for anything…" Her gorgeous hair began to flow in the wind upon my words, something that slightly brought a little fear into my heart as she got in stance with my wedding gift, the Blazing Yato yet to be unleashed. It was a standoff…

"…Then have a taste of ALL MY STRENGTH!" A sudden dash!

"W-WHOA!" It was only by a hair was I able to draw my blade fast enough for the two of us to begin a parry. She was pushing as hard as she could; nearly bringing my back leg to a knee! If she did this, she would gain the advantage and knock the blade right out from my grasp! I had to act quick! The two of us were building up a growl as I slowly began to rise up, finally pushing the goddess off of me with a followed up swing to the left. She was able to knock my blade out of the way with a second swing at the ready, and again only by a hair was I able to duck low enough to avoid getting a new do! Quickly, I span around her as the blades danced in a wondrous ballet so well-coordinated it would've put that one retainer I knew to shame. Her violent swings were almost becoming overbearing, so I had to break away and make a run for it to get some cover!

"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed, "First trick of the day! HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS!" When I glanced at her from behind the tree, she placed her blades together in an X formation, leaning back as they began to glow brightly! Uh…oh. "SHINING CUTTER!" Throwing her body forward, a contradicting light and darkness flew out through ALL the trees chopping them down, gasping as I performed a backflip to dodge the first interesting attack! Once again, I was just in the right amount of time to dodge the horizontal crescent moon that made firewood out of the trees surrounding us! What…where?!

"Where the hell did you get THAT kind of power from?!" I screamed as she got back in stance.

"I told you," she answered, "I picked up a few new moves while you and Kana were away!" She placed her blades back in the same formation she had them before. "Just so you know Dyru, you were the one that wanted me to go all out, so I won't go easy on you! I never have and I NEVER WILL!" She continued rotating the top portion of her body in the same way she did when she fired off the cutter attack, still releasing continuous crescent moons towards my way as I began to roll out of harm's way. In one of the attacks, I was thankful to trip over myself to avoid the slicing explosive beams of magic that flew just above my head!

"…This power," I thought to myself, "This can't be the same Hana I know…can it? Has she really…gotten this strong in such a short amount of time?!" Little did she know that while I was visiting Rinkah did I pick up a few tricks of my own! After her final cutter, she spread her arms out like an eagle with her blades and began to dart towards my way, ready for a cut down she thought I came unprepared for. With my one eye closed, I focused all of my energy into the Blazing Yato, feeling my aura flowing from within pouring inside of my beloved weapon. "Hope you're ready for this Hana!" I exclaimed as I raised the blinding weapon into the air, "BLAZE…SCAR!" Quickly, I slammed the sword into the ground as the aura poured straight into the grass, creating a thick spike of light that began to travel along the earth. When it reached at least 20 feet, the spike broke into many more spikes of different sizes, watching the artful samurai step from different sides to avoid the effects it had in store for her had it made a mark on her delicately soft skin. I didn't panic, despite her dodges, she was able to get as close as she could to my face with one deadly swing I was able to block with the blunt side. When she threw her other arm for a direct stab, I was wavy enough to move with a back swing to her shoulder, throwing her off in a sort of panic which released Oblivion from her grasp. We were now locked in a one-on-one parry, our faces close to each other.

"I knew you had something planned there," she admitted, "And I'm very much impressed! The trees paid a terrible price for my actions, but I promise you I won't miss honey!" I smiled as we continued the lock-up.

"Only a gorgeous woman like you would taunt me like that," I replied, "I knew I married the right one: silky and soft on the outside, courageous and alluring on the inside…"

"Hmph!" The woman pushed my blade off as she initiated a series of strikes, moving from left to right to dodge them followed by a few blocks. In one dangerous incident, she did manage to knock the blade out of my hand when I was left to surrender, but knowing me; lets be honest: Like Ryoma I never know when to quit! Each swing to the left and right were pretty close to my head; moving out of the way enough to where I could pick up the Blazing Yato and actually fight back the woman! With one more swing to my body, I pulled off a backflip with the Blazing Yato back in my hands which ended up with another parry yet again! She smiled. "I'm fixing to make your day interesting my love…"

"As if you haven't already!" I exclaimed, "But come on Hana…let's see what you can do…"

"You're gonna regret underestimating me Dryu!" With a sudden violent push, my arm was thrown out of our parry as she tackled me, sending me back as she placed Oathkeeper back into her sheath. I was quickly able to recover just in time to guard her next amazing ability! "SOLAR SLASH!" When a samurai draws their blade from a firm stance, they usually call it "The Fatal Draw", but this was a whole new world of fighting I was about to witness first hand. The moment she drew her sword, she was already dashing through the air at a speed even I couldn't comprehend! The next part of this attack was the one that would open my eyes to how powerful my wife actually was: She was able to draw her sword out so fast that the blinding speed was almost too much when we met back in a parry! Behind her dash were fiery crescents that exploded into dancing flames! Her smile was brighter than ever.

"WHERE ARE YOU FINDING THE TIME TO PRACTICE SUCH AMAZING ATTACKS?!" I yelled in panic as she giggled.

"I only learned my fighting techniques from the best samurai I know," she answered, "I just used a bit of flair to the blades you gave me to make them better…" At lighting speed, the two of us continued to clash our blades together into yet another lock down.

"Training with Ryoma has really brought you up there hasn't it?" She shook her head.

"No," she said with a blush on her soft face, "T-The person I'm talking about is you. Ryoma is a god in his own right, but my idol will always be the one who captured my heart in the beginning…"

"Hana…" In a second's notice, the two of us leapt back and jolted right into each other in another parry. "I hate to tell you this love, but this fight is over."

"Oh yeah? Do tell! In what way would it actually be fin-" Even though I love her very much, I was still able to distract such a stunning vision with a simple kiss on her lips; leading to her blade being tossed out of her hand by another shove. With my blade pointed to her nose, the battle was indeed over…I was the victor!

The woman stood before me, stunned as I placed the Yato back into the side of my sash with a smile on my face. She closed them and sighed as she fell on her bum.

"That was a pretty cheap tactic Dyru," she commented, "I liked it but it was really cheap…" I sat next to her and held that soft hand I loved so much.

"Yeah I probably should've used something else," I agreed, "But in truth I was desperate enough to try and stop the onslaught of magic you were using against me. I almost couldn't keep up with it." She gave me a smile and leaned into my shoulder.

"I'm glad I could finally be a match for the one I love…," she affirmed, "To be as strong as my idol is truly a dream come true to me, especially if that idol is my husband who has always protected our family by giving his life for us to live another day…" A worn-out Hana slumped her head into my lap, making herself comfortable when she placed my hand on the top of her head. She didn't even have to do that: I was already stroking her soft hair to the sounds of the forest around us. We were enjoying the silence together, something we haven't been able to do for as long as we could remember…that was, until Hana had taken a glance into my face. Her expressions were puzzling, she looked a little concerned. "Dyru…can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything Hana," I answered, "Although your expressions tell me you are feeling…insecure about something." She gasped, her eyes widened at my words.

"H-How did you know that?!" she exclaimed when I massaged her hand with mine.

"It's that gut feeling you have when you spend a lot of wonderful time with your beloved," I replied, "Now tell me: what is troubling you?" She turned her head away for a moment with her eyes halfway shut followed by a frown that almost hurt to witness. There really was something on her mind wasn't there?

"…Do you think I'm…too girly to wield a weapon and fight like this?" What? How could she even think to ask such a thing about herself?

"That's kind of a question that is too late to answer wouldn't you agree?" I countered, "I mean you fought with us to take down Garon. Nobody else could help at the time, and only you and Kana were there to assist while the others took down each enemy that came around." She sighed deeply, the air releasing from her nose when she turned her head to face nature.

"I see…" I didn't…feel very satisfied with the response she gave to my words, so I continued.

"There's obviously a deeper meaning behind the question you're asking isn't there? If so…then explain yourself honey. I want to know why something like this is truly troubling you." She closed her eyes with yet another deep sigh, holding onto my hand tightly. She was really concerned about this…wasn't she?

"…Sometimes…when I think about having Kana blessed into our lives, I feel…weaker than I ever have." This was…quite a shock honestly.

"What do you mean?" I could feel her heart racing.

"I had Lady Sakura in the beginning to protect above all things else," she began, "When everyone else had their duties, she was mine. I never understood why she selected me to begin with, her answers weren't clear to me exactly. What I did know is that she fought like there was no tomorrow for me to become her retainer…" She nuzzled her head along my thigh to make herself more comfortable. "Her answer was that…she could really trust me. She never believed that she could, it was that I had proven myself over and over when I got between herself and danger. They were minor incidents, like how she fell from a tree and I caught her, or when she was about to be attacked by a pack of wild dogs, but they were still something to her. As little as these situations were, she still could trust me, but she had yet to see how I would fare in a real life or death situation against our enemies…"

"Hana…"

"To tell you the truth Dyru…I feel…I feel truly scared, more than I ever had in my entire life. I was still pretty young at the time, I never wanted to imagine what dying would be like if I was ever cut down. All of this pride and hot-headedness about being the best of the best a samurai can offer their liege…I never truly realized how much it got to my head before I met you. I feel safer when I'm in your arms so I can guarantee Sakura's safety on a daily basis, but when I think about our daughter Kana who means more to me in this world than I can even fathom, I always wonder if I'm truly being the perfect mother for her. I never thought to conceive her during this war, but I was so madly in love with you that I…I couldn't drive myself to look away. I had to have you in my grasp, not just in physical form…but on an emotional level so deep that I couldn't turn away to give myself to anyone else who I thought maybe deserved me…" I could…hear her tearing up. "I think…like a mother so much that I feel weaker, because I always doubted if I could juggle so many things. I know they protect their babies, but if something were to happen to our beautiful young Kana I could never forgive myself, I would take the blame for being such a weak woman who couldn't even shield her from such terrible danger. Sometimes I even wonder why I pick up a sword, and I feel like it goes way beyond those things: the job of protecting Sakura, protecting you and Kana, preserving honor for myself. Should I still continue to train just to better myself because of my pride, or should I retire and become a full-time mom and provide what I couldn't for our family because of our war-torn experiences…thoughts like these have clouded me ever since I have married you, and I never want to fail someone I already pledged my life to…" I was truly surprised; this is a side of Hana I have never witnessed since the day I met her. She was more into deep thoughts than I originally imagined despite her bubbliness towards our teammates. It really does go to show that there is no such thing as a person who doesn't reflect upon their selves based on actions they have gone through. However, despite this, I was about to make her see the reality in the mirror she thought was hazy. I began to brush her cheek with the side of my hand, causing her to look into my eye when I smiled at her.

"Hana," I started, "This may come as a surprise to you, but you have already accomplished so much in a short amount of time."

"H-Huh?"

"I know that I was being selfish when I admitted my feelings to you, but there was a reason I said them. I chose you to be my wife because of two things." My other hand was brushing her hair, caressing each light brown strand as if my fingers were her brush. "The first reason is because I couldn't live in a world like this without you. I can't imagine ever searching for another woman after encountering someone so charming and interesting. I'll admit that a tomboy is a first for me, but I love a woman that can keep up in the face of battle, which brings me to the second reason I chose you. It's because you are one of only two, yes, counting Lord Ryoma, who I learn new techniques from on a daily basis when we spar with shinai. I absorbed a lot of battle maneuvers when I fought alongside Xander for a short time, but being with you has perfected my abilities in all fields of experience, and I could never learn so much from anybody else. Even Kana has learned from you, not just about being a swordswoman, but how to be an eloquent, vibrant young lady. You may not think so, but I promise you; despite me being royalty I have never seen her be so polite to people all around her when she makes the decisions she does, and she didn't get those kinds of qualities from me!" She almost wanted to cry again, although this time I think it was because she came to a realization of how true my words were. "And now that the war is over, there is no need to pick up the sword and fight again unless you do what you do best Hana, and that's train. I've never seen anybody so dedicated to becoming a full-fledged samurai like you, hell I wouldn't be surprised if you surpassed even Lord Ryoma! Also, you and I get to make up all that lost time we could've had with Kana had this destruction never started to begin with, you actually get to try and become the mother you always dreamed you'd be when we made love together! She always depends on you because she knows you are the only mother that can ever teach her the things she needs to know about become a refined, mature woman when she grows older. So instead of wondering if you're too girly to be the fighting warrior you are, you should wonder what kind of clothes Kana is going to wear before she starts her middle school classes, you should wonder what her major will be when she exceeds in her studies, you should wonder how you can always overcome obstacles that seem far beyond your reach, because you have already proven that you are more than just a woman who can wield a blade and protect. That being said…you are never too much of a girl to pick up a blade, because you have already shown what you can do with it…that's…why I wanted to fight you today, to reassure your feelings so you never have to doubt yourself ever again…" The woman I fell in love with so long ago…she just…started crying again. She held onto my body as she climbed up, embracing me as I held her in return. I think she was finally starting to understand what I was saying, because she was nearly giggling despite her soft whimpers in my ears.

"…D-Dyru," she said, "Thank you so much for…telling me something I really needed to hear." She backed away and gave me a warm embracing kiss. "I promise I won't doubt myself and our family again because of me. I'll stay stronger than I ever have!" She started giggling as I picked her up by her bum, kissing her again with a smile.

"Believe it Hana," I told her, "You are truly the absolute best wife a man like myself could ever have…and I would never be happy with anyone else but you…" She smiled at my words.

"I won't have it any other way Dryu…" The sun was slowly beginning to set, and the afterhours of this place weren't exactly safe, so when I placed her down, the two of us loaded up our blades and took a stroll back to the Dragon Temple. We had special evening plans when Kana could spend the night with Selkie and her friends, and we could only achieve these things when we were alone…

…

The hot springs had two entrances next to one another, labeled with a blue flag for males and a red flag for females. These spots were designated for opposite genders to drop their clothes and place them in their individual hampers they bring with them, all neatly placed on the stone shelves to the right side of the room. From these corridors beyond were the arches covered by silk curtains that would lead to the spring itself. I had Jakob close them today for repairs, however, this was just a ruse so my beloved and I could…have it to ourselves. Of course, sneaking in would have to be done in secrecy so nobody actually knew that there was truly nothing wrong with them.

When the sun went to bed, I grabbed my towel and made way down the treehouse outside the throne area, heading to the stone path that would lead into our town. The shops were still open with the public going crazy around the accessory departments. I saw a father pick up something nice for his daughter, and even children I knew were buying collars and such for their pets. The Dragon Temple really was a nice place to be when it was dark. There were more stars out than I have ever seen in an evening, giving our mysterious atmosphere more beauty than you could ever imagine. As much as I wanted to stargaze however, I was about to be late for a very important date! I followed the stone path leading to the entrance of the rural dirt path. There, in the corner of the temple's courtyard, was a building made of marble standing two stories tall. On each of the four corners were towers with a pyramid-like roof top on each one, all topped with Hoshido's flag. When I walked through the male side, I began to strip down to nothing and placed my towel into the spare hamper. The springs from here was just a footstep away…

Since the treaty was established between Hoshido and Nohr, a lot of places around our forts were being renovated. Evidently this was one of the places Jakob wanted work on first, and he was already starting on the project way before we were close to winning the war. To begin, all of the pillars surrounding the actual bath itself were painted red halfway down, leaving the designs pristine and untouched. The floors were polished to a gleam, each slick piece of tile marble given a circular design. If one were to glance down into such beautiful marble, they would witness their reflection that appeared in a world different from their own. With his crew, he carved designs into each part of the wall surrounding the springs that were of Hoshido and Nohr, and covered the ceiling with yet another large layer of polished marble. He still kept the springs open-aired, which was a major preference of mine since I could move out to the large opening surrounded by twenty-feet tall bamboo tied together. This was the space were I would take Hana to once she arrived. Speaking of which…

"Mmmmm…" The moment I stepped into the steaming waters, I immediately wanted to fall. They were massaging my sore feet from training with the woman I loved most, almost reaching to my hips as I strutted into the deeper end. Finally, the water submerged me up to my armpits, and I could lean against the cushion that absorbed all of my pain the back had endured from such a treacherous journey to end the war. I closed my eye and nearly fell into slumber. The sounds of nature and pouring water were enough to put a man at ease. If there was one way to end a war then this would've been the perfect solution: a shared bath between soldiers on neutral ground. That reminded me of a man I read about in the history books when I was with Angie back at the palace. Two people grew up together as best friends, yet one of them was seen as a traitor and was exiled from their land. Though they were against each other, they met in the center of the forest with their soldiers side-by-side, and despite them being weary of one another, the two men were sharing tea and talking of good times. When they were finished, they would shake hands and depart until the next morning when they would rinse and repeat their activities. This was in a book I remember Elise reading when she and Xander would have their political arguments on peace and plenty.

…

…Elise…Xander…how I missed them so…

"Dyru?" I opened my eye to be greeted with a woman who had herself wrapped in a towel. She was obviously blushing at the sight of me when she realized I had nothing on my body…it was here I realized she didn't either underneath that veil. Her long light brown hair hung over one of her gorgeous brown eyes…

"…You made it." She giggled while looking into the waters.

"It was a little difficult getting by Hinata and Oboro," she said, "They were wondering why I was holding a towel in my hand...and you know me: I'm not really good at coming up with excuses." I could see the sweat drop running down the side of her cheek as I laughed.

"Well they're Takumi's retainers," I affirmed, "Sharp and smart, well, I can say that about Oboro, but Hinata on the other hand…" She was giggling at my words.

"Don't be jealous," she said, "You're saying that just because you knew he had a chance with me at some point." The two of us were peering into the stars that were dancing together. "Then again…I can't really imagine a life with him to be honest. He's nice and funny, but…he's…not you ya know…?" I swam up to her feet and leaned on my arms, peering up at her face.

"Are you going to get in?" I nervously asked as she nodded.

"I'm…I'm really shy when it comes to these things," she pointed out, "I-I don't want anyone to see me like this with you…"

"We can always do this another time honey," I told her, "If you're too nervo-"

"N-No…you already went through a lot of trouble getting this ready for us…I want to do this with you…" Slowly, her towel fell to the marble floor, revealing her gorgeous slender sanctuary. Her soft skin had the texture of the fluffiest pillow you could run your fingers through, giving pleasure to any who lie against her. Through the steam, I could see that her nipples of her gorgeous breasts had already hardened due to the intense heat of the sauna that massaged her…and her entire body on top of that had already gathered a bunch of droplets because of the moisture in the air. She squatted down and reached for my hand, taking it softly to guide her into the springs with me. When her body pressed against mine, she gazed into my eyes to observe that I had been stunned. I could feel myself growing hot…my heart racing. "D-Dyru…" I placed my lips on hers, embracing her gorgeous body in the waters as I carried her to the open-air section of the springs. Placing her against the cushion, I rose her legs up a little and placed my hands against the rocky wall with them hanging over my arms, pressing against her so she could feel all of me as we continued to become one through our lips. A slight moan escaped her lips when I reached for her neck, licking it softly with the tip of my tongue and kissing it gently. We stayed in this position for a few minutes and embraced one another in such a wondrous passionate way…no other time would I want such a moment like this to fade away…

"…Hana…," I spoke up, "I can't imagine myself being this way with another who I call my one and only…I love you with all of my heart and soul…" I placed my nose against hers that moment. "And I wouldn't have it any other way than with you…" She kissed my lips at my reaction and embraced me…clinging on to never let go.

"I…never thought I'd meet someone so passionate and loving in my entire life," she replied, "I always thought I would wither away alone…for men only looked at me as a girl with a blade she plays with…but you…you're so much different from them. You see me as a samurai, recognized me by my blade rather than my gender first…and truthfully…that's…all I ever wanted…" She maneuvered her legs around my hips and pulled me as close as she could, flinching in pleasure as she could feel me press against her down there…and smiled. "You are all I will ever want…the only one I will ever want…"

Time passed by when we were in these wonderful waters as fast as the winds change. We found a spot for us to sit in the springs where the cushions were aligned perfectly for our bums to rest on. Despite the extra space, she chose to sit in my lap facing the waters, leaning her head back onto my shoulder as I embraced her soft and silky tummy. During our moment of silence, we were massaging our bodies by the will of our hearts and our hands, feeling each other as much as we wanted to. Her hand grazed my arm softly and slowly, the same arm that was guiding my hand up her body to cup one of her breasts in my grasp. They were perfect: the roundness appealed to me the most when I could place my finger on the center of her nipple, swirling around it to make her vibrate in pleasure. With a soft squeeze, I could hear her giggling playfully as she reached down my thigh, digging her fingernails softly into my skin and scratching up to the side of my hip.

"This is perfect…," I whispered, "This idea was the best thing the two of us could have ever came up with."

"I agree," she commented, "I can't believe I was so shy around you the first time we…encountered each other in here." At her words, I wrapped my arms around her body and rested them, kissing the nape of her neck and smiling. We were silent for a few moments once more…until she spoke up. "Do you remember the first time we spoke to each other?"

"Yeah I do," I answered, "I have to admit, you didn't really like me at all back then did you?" She couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah I know…it was a really stupid reason to not like you either. I can't believe I said such mean things to you." I held onto her tighter.

"…You had every right to be upset with me," I told her, "It may have been something I couldn't control…but it was selfish of me to expect everyone to be happy that I'm back and not remember the sad times…" She turned her body around and leaned into my face, kissing me passionately as we interlocked our fingers. When she stopped, her eyes were still closed.

"No…it was wrong of me to be mad at you. I was so bullish at the time because I was so passionate about my friendship with Sakura…that I had little to no concern of who I was hurting when I defended her through everything." She kissed my nose…and embraced me once more. "I always believed that dying for your master was the best way to go for a samurai like me…but…I never once considered my personal needs, which was something Sakura mentioned time and time again. I just…didn't care." She leaned back and placed her hands on the back of my neck, her arms sticking out. "That's exactly how my father was when I grew up with him. He lived the life the way he did because he wanted to honor everything your father stood for, just like me for you and Lord Ryoma. However, Sakura didn't approve, she finally told me one day after we talked that I was like a lifeless shell ever since I became her retainer. She hated to see me swing a blade only to protect her passionately rather than to do it because I'm human…I don't know. At the time it just didn't click with me…but after you and I talked…I had come to the realization of her statements."

"I see…" She blushed slightly.

"It was because in truth…I really loved you Dyru. I just didn't know how to convey my heart to you without fear that you would place the platter into the bin after I said such…terrible things to you. I was afraid that these trivial matters would interfere with my duty as her retainer." She smiled. "But it seems everything worked out the way it was supposed to…the way I wanted it to. Because of you, because of your presence, because of your wisdom, I have never felt more human than I ever have since the day I picked up my katana." Her words were truly heartwarming. I couldn't really think of anything to say to such things, for all I could ponder were the results of our love: Kana. She was just as beautiful as her mother, and bore the kindness yet sassiness parts of our hearts when we became one the night I played the piano for her on our honeymoon. Could anyone replicate love like this? I didn't think so…only the two of us were the origin of such a situation…and possibly, I wanted to relive it again.

"…Hana…" Slowly, I placed my hands on her bum, spreading my fingers to grasp her soft cheeks and rose her out of the springs in the air to kiss her passionately. She was surprised at first considering the unexpected, but it didn't take long for her to follow through as I slowly lied her gorgeous body on the marble floor and climbed out of the springs. I pushed her legs back with mine and moved against her body, hearing the moans escape her lips as I held her hands against the floor and continued kissing her. Her heartbeats were increasing rapidly as mine were, or was it just hers? Maybe mine? Who could tell the difference? Truly…who gave a damn? I couldn't let this moment escape us. I continued to pleasure her with my tongue on her neck, feeling her breathing rapidly as I traveled down to her breasts…and began to suck on them. With her nipple in my mouth, I gently swirled my tongue around the outside and massaged the tip of it, pressing softly against it and pulling ever so slowly until I released it from my grasp. When it was back in place, the tension began to spread around her body, making her moan just a slight bit. She stopped me for a moment…and kissed me again.

"…What is on your mind?" she asked as I could feel myself freeze up. If I told her about what I wanted, would she consent to it? Of course, I wasn't speaking in terms of… just becoming one…but rather…

"…I want…" I was struggling to say anything at this point, I could feel my face growing hotter and hotter as she moved her hips against mine. The pleasure she was giving me was overwhelming, I didn't know if I should wait to go back to our home or if we should…just do it here. "…I want to do this over again…the way it was meant to be, the way it should've before this war even started, when we finally became married…" She was blushing as hard as she ever did, and was shaking slightly when she could feel me against her opening.

"…I think Kana will be happy to know that she…might have another…sibling…"

…

The next thing I knew, the two of us had already burst our way through the bedroom door of our small treehouse home, kissing each other deeply when it had immediately shut and locked. Placing her on the ground, she began to undo my sash as I unbuckled the brace that held her chest armor together that would expose her small pink yukata underneath it. After such things, she threw off my coat and removed my shirt, tossing it against the wall when she tackled my exposed chest with her lips. Kissing my pecs, I removed my baggy pants and threw off my shoes and socks, undoing the sash that held her outfit together and repeated her actions. When we stood in only our underwear, I picked her back up and placed her onto the bed, removing her bandaged bra with my fingers and placing her breasts back into my mouth, kissing and licking them softly only to hear her escaping moans grow louder when I pressed them together. I climbed up to her face and kissed her deeply while she used her toes to sink them into my underwear, pulling them off to expose our way to make another one. Our eyes were closed, we didn't care if we were shy to see each other naked again for the second time. The emotions emitting from the both of us at this moment were burning so immensely that our second nature was taking over in the speed of a second.

"D-Dyru…u-ugh…" I reached for her pink underwear and removed it as fast as I could, her legs bending for easier access. When I tossed them away, she wrapped herself around me and continued kissing me passionately while I held her hands back against the bed. I could tell such actions were intensifying her when she was trying to release herself from my grip so she could squeeze the life out of the sheet from our bed she was pulling up. I wouldn't let her escape. Not this time. I reached for her hand and pulled it back, witnessing her give in as she began to claw at my backside. The ruggedness of my body, which she admired about me the most, made her move her hips against the hardness that she helped grow just by the silkiness of her skin. I wanted her, no, I craved her more than anything in this moment. I stopped kissing her and climbed down to her exposed lips, sinking my face against them to taste her. Closing my eyes, I could feel her grasping my hair and nearly pulling it as she moaned a little louder at my actions. I was swirling my tongue around it slowly and delving into her most sensitive spot, sucking softly and using the tip of my tongue to wiggle it around. "G-Gods…I-I…mmmmugh…" I continued doing this for some time until I could feel her own essence on my taste buds. She couldn't handle it, nor could I. I had to have her. However, she wasn't going to let that happen right away. She lifted herself up and reached for under my arms to pull me, pushing me onto the pillow when she climbed on and kissed me deeply. I wrapped my arms around her body to embrace my personal goddess as she continued moving against me. I couldn't help but sigh in her mouth; her opening was massaging my thickness between her lips, reminding me of how soft they were when we first made love and conceived Kana. She continued climbing down and kissing my pecs, swirling her tongue around my right nipple and sucking on it. I couldn't imagine the pleasure I gave her when I did this to her, but if it felt as amazing as it did when she was doing it to me, I wanted her to do such things forever. That wasn't her initial goal however. She left her tongue out and slowly trailed it down my chest as she climbed down my body. When my hardened rod grazed underneath her chin, she continued moving to watch as it flicked back and forth in front of her, forcing the woman to blush as she kept her eyes on me from a distance. This was new to me, I had no idea what she was about to do when she had reached her real destination. In that moment however, I couldn't help but gape my jaw when she opened her mouth and wrapped her silky lips around my head. I could feel her tongue grazing the top in circular motion as slow as mine was when I was tasting her…and slowly, she pushed her head down as much as she could. A pleasurable moan escaped through my lips; I couldn't contain it when she closed her mouth and slid back up. I closed my eye and leaned my head back, folding my arm onto the back of my head while placing the other on the sheet, grasping it when she reached for mine to hold. She continued to move in such a motion, suction sounds escaping from her mouth at an intense pace.

"H-Hana…" I could hear her moaning as she continued to taste me in such a pleasurable way. I was only growing bigger and bigger, all of the heat traveling down my body onto my rod as she placed her free hand on the base, grasping and moving her hand back and forth while her tongue swirled around the tip. My legs were shaking slightly at these maneuvers, was this how I made her feel when I was opening her up earlier?

"I-I can't help it…," she spoke as she continued grappling me in such ways, "It's my first time doing something like this, and I can't…I can't stop…" She closed her eyes and only sucked the tip while her grasp continued reaching the base and back to her lips. My eye was rolling back, my jaw gapping when another moan was escaping it. At last, I regained control of such a hypnotizing maneuver. I pulled her up immediately and locked lips again while lifting the goddess into my arms and placing her against the wall. When I made her face it, she knew what was coming. "Dyru…" I wrapped my arm around her waist while grasping my thickness in my hand, positioning it near her lubricated lips and massaged it. I could hear her tearing up. "I…I love you so much Dyru…you…you are the only one who can give me such amazing pleasures, not by just delivering it to my weakened body, but to my broken heart that you mended in so little time…"

"I feel the same way Hana…," I told her as a tear escaped my eye, "You're not the only one who thought…they were going to die alone. To perish from this world without knowing you…is a fatal sin that could never be forgiven…" Our lips connected again as I could feel the head of my thickness sticking to her. "I love you Hana…I love you always…" Her expression of desperation was growing more and more as she moaned.

"…Then make me yours," she pleaded softly, "Let us unite as one…and breathe new life into this world…" She moved her hips against mine, her lips slowly pulling at me. "I need you inside me…p-please…I need you Dyru…I've…wanted you inside me for so long…p-please…" I nodded with a kiss to her glossy lips as I grappled the base of my thickness and moved it a little more to make her release a little of her essence. When I felt it sink a little, I slowly began to move it inside of her, both of our lips gapping as we gazed into each other's eyes. Immediately, her arm wrapped around the back of my neck as she reached for mine which had moved closer to her wetness. Rubbing her sensitive spot in circular motion, I was able to help her relax as her lips took all of me inside. The two of us released a painful yet pleasurable moan when my pelvis was resting against her soft cheeks…I was all the way inside of her. She was breathing heavily as I held onto her body, reaching for her lips.

"A-Are you…are you OK?" I asked her while she flinched. Despite the pain she was feeling, she was actually…smiling.

"I just…f-forgot…t-this is embarrassing to say…but…I just…"

"Say no more my love…," I interrupted, "I'll move slowly…OK?" She nodded and grappled me as tightly as I was her. The first time we ever made love was shortly after we reunited with Ryoma, and since then, we haven't done anything but cuddled together in exposure of our bodies in the solace of our own home. Because of this, it felt like it was our first time becoming one again…truthfully though, it was perfect. We were doing this the way it was meant to be, before the chaos, before the death, before the despair…it was just as we imagined. To reenact such a perfect moment, I began by pulling out slowly to the tip of her insides, and pushed back in.

"O-Oh gods…," she called out with a moan as I sighed deeply. In a slow motion, I was pushing in and pulling out, brushing my pelvis against her soft and firm cheeks, observing the small ripple that was created after my move. I always told her that I really liked her butt, it was shaped as perfectly as her legs because of the immense training she went through daily. Batting an eye at it while doing this with her however was driving my primal instincts rapid however, so after moving a few times in a slow motion, I began to pick up the pace a tad bit, forcing the beautiful woman to let more moans escape from her soft lips. "O-Oh yes…y-yeah…" When we locked lips again, her moans were traveling down my throat during our provocative moment of pleasure. It was a little embarrassing for both of us while we were kissing, but the sounds of her bum clapping against my hips only made me want to deliver harder and much faster. She knew that I wanted to do it, so she grappled me as tightly as she could and refused to let go of me. I didn't want her to…not in any way shape or form.

"H-Hana…g-gods!" I couldn't control my hips any longer; they began to move on their own at a much more powerful pace that made her increase the pitch of her whimpering. Her insides were tightening harder around my thickness, which only made me go as fast as I could. All that could be heard in the room were our passionate cries with the sound of our skin making contact. A few moments passed, and I refused to stop pleasuring my beloved even to this measure. I slid my hand down to her lips and began massaging her sensitive spot, swirling my fingers around it only to cause her to shake uncontrollably. When my hips came to a halt, she was screaming in pleasure, her legs trembling tremendously at my actions. She had tightened up so much that she couldn't move afterwards…the woman had just climaxed. Breathless Hana pushed me away a bit, a loud popping sound escaping from her insides when I slid right out only to have her clinging back onto my body. I carried the weakened woman to our bed with her back on top, exchanging saliva once more at an uncontrollable speed. We couldn't speak words, the two of us were so breathless that we had to conserve them. Communicating through actions obviously was the best way to go, and judging by her next move, she was ready to go again. The whimpering Hana slid back and rose her hips up, adjusting herself onto my thickness again while leaning in to kiss me. When she grappled it, she leaned back up and slowly slid it back inside of her.

"O-Oh my god!" The two of us moaned loudly when the realization of her sitting at the base came to fruition. I was all the way inside of her, the lady looking down into my eyes as she reached for my hand and pulled it to her breast. For her to do this despite her shyness made me all the more crazy, sucking on my finger as she rolled her hips slowly around it.

"Ugh Hana…" I could barely say, "Y-Yes…"

"You…you like that?" she asked in a hopeful tone guiding with an escaping groan.

"Yes…I love it…" She sat still for a moment, placing her hands onto my abs and positioned her hips perfectly. The lady then started hopping up and down on me, moaning louder and louder as her bum continued to clap against my pelvis. Her insides were tightening once more which was forcing me to join her in the symphony of moans as well. I moved my hands onto her cheeks and spread them as hard as I could, thrusting my hips against her without stopping at all. Her expression was all I needed to know that she wanted it that badly.

"Y-YES!" she screamed, "H-Harder! HARDER! UHHHHH! YES! MMMM!" Damn me to stop at this moment, because if I did, I knew I'd regret it. I raised my knees up to get into better stance and pulled her down slowly to my eye level. Her hair veiled over our faces…allowing us to kiss while I placed my other hand back onto her cheek, thrusting as hard as I could without any second thoughts of slowing down. "G-GODS YES!" Her moans eventually grew into little squeals as we moved in a superb rhythmic motion, keeping my lips pressed onto her during my harder thrusts. She stopped for a moment and pierced into my eyes with hers while our noses were resting together while my thickness was growing at its hottest.

"H-Hana…," I could barely say as she moaned louder and louder, "H-Hold…" I stopped completely while she leaned back and whimpered yet again at her shaking legs. The tightness of her insides constricted me completely, almost making my build up explode inside of her. After regaining control, I leaned up and kissed her passionately while she moved her hips rapidly again, immediately slapping my hands onto her cheeks to grasp them.

"I-I didn't want you to stop," she whimpered, "K-Keep going! P-Please Dyru!" I picked her up and climbed off the bed, placing her on our small table while keeping her legs spread. I managed to stay inside her during this time, and using my lower strength, I continued to thrust inside her as hard as I was when we were on our bed. With her hands resting on both sides of my head, she grasped my hair and groaned in pleasure yet again, lowering my hands onto her love handles and squeezing them as I drilled deeper into her. "Y-Yes! D-Don't stop! P-Please…please!" At her command, I continued to thrust harder and harder until my hips moved on their own. I lowered my hand onto her spot again and used my thumb to rub it as fast as I could, forcing her to lie down onto the table and grasp the edge of it. "Y-Yes! Yes! G-GODS! YES!" The pace was non-stop, how we could continue after the many climaxes she had was truly beyond me…but I didn't care. This was exactly how it was supposed to be: no worry, no death, no sadness, not even despair. Just pure love and bliss with little to no interference of terror and chaos. "G-GODS! I-I'M DOING IT AGAIIIIIIN!" At those words, I regained control and slammed into her, keeping her at the base of my thickness while rubbing her spot faster to make her release again. Her moan turned into a loud shriek, her legs shaking very violently as she pushed against my chest. I think she wanted me to pull out, but I refused. I wanted her to take all of the pleasure she deserved to have…and after noting this, she gave in and held onto me tightly with her body vibrating uncontrollably. Kissing me deeply, I decided it was time to finish it. I couldn't hold off any longer from conception, the pleasure was too much even for me, but we wanted more…even more than we could muster. I picked her up slowly by her bum and stood strong, spreading her cheeks again and delivering the unexpected. This time, in the air I bent over a little and surprised the moaning girl with a hard thrust. "D-Dyru...don't…stop please!" Once again, I bend to her will and thrust harder than I ever have, opening up the way to her womb so she could take my seed when it came time. The clapping of her cheeks against my pelvis was overwhelmingly pleasurable, I didn't know if even then I would want to stop if I released my essence inside of her. My mind was warped at this point, all I could think of was how much happier I was to have her in my arms when things were finally at peace. I teared up a bit…which Hana took notice of. "D-Dyru…?" In a small moment of epiphany, I realized that my thickness had bulked up.

"H-Hana!" I called out, "I-I love you…I love you so much! I-I…I'm about to…I'm about to come!" Her moans were increasing yet again in pitch when she realized how hot I was feeling.

"Don't stop!" she exclaimed, "P-Please! I don't ever want you to stop! M-Make me yours now! C-Come inside me! Ughhhhh! Gods! Y-Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!" Our moans were growing louder as the build-up was flowing from within me, the girl nearly crying at the same time as I was. "I-I love you Dyru! Don't…Don't ever leave my side! Stay with me through this life and the next!" In one final thrust, I slammed into her at the base and held on tightly, the girl screaming in my ear as I joined her in symphony. From her insides, I could feel her tightening at her hardest as I released my flowing river of seeds inside of her womb, not wanting to pull away from the woman I wanted to conceive another child with. The pleasure was beyond intense, so crazy that we were frozen like the statues around the fortress while our insides were intermixing with one another. When my spritz had ended, I fell back onto the bed with the woman I loved and held onto her tightly, listening to her heavy breathing and moaning as I joined in with her. It would be a long time before I removed myself from her sanctuary…but I didn't want to…I wanted to stay connected with her forever. The two of us were sobbing in happiness when we connected our lips together, leaning our noses in as we spoke our last words before we fell into a deep slumber…

"…I love you…Dyru." With one more kiss, I smiled.

"…Hana…I love you…you too…"

…

The last thing I could remember upon opening my eyes were the moments I shared with my wife when we exchanged our love together. The slumber had overtaken my line of vision for a while with the unjustly blur until Hana came into view. The goddess was letting out slight whimpers under her soft breath, her hands resting on my shoulder not wanting to let go. Our bodies were veiled underneath our thick yet soft bedspread when I could get a clear view of what was going on around me, the piercing sunlight radiating through our windows made this evident when the intensity blinded my eye. I leaned back down and kissed her on the forehead, then climbed out of my bed and slid a new pair of underwear onto my body. I turned to face the goddess who never stirred from my movements…and smiled.

"…I love you." After placing my baggy pants onto my body and sliding my soles onto my feet, I made way to the door with my coat in hand and left the treehouse.

The morning dew gave the grassy lands a beautiful glittering coat when the rays of light rained down upon our world. In the area, children were running amok the fort playing a simple game of tag while most of the adults were working on the renovations Jakob had ordered around the camp. In speaking of which, I wanted to run to the mess hall and pick the best of coffee I could muster along with the wheat donuts and cherry blossom jam Hana enjoyed so much. I may have not liked him very much, but he was perhaps one of the greatest butlers Nohr had offered me when Felicia and Flora took care of Angie and I. If anybody knew what coffee I enjoyed the most, it was Jakob.

"Good morning Lord Dyru." A Nohrian guard stood strong and saluted me, smiling brightly when I mimicked his movements.

"At ease soldier," I spoke with a laugh, "Hah…I've always wanted to say that."

"We get that a lot around our camp," he commented, "Although, I do have word for you, a message from the gates of the Dragon Temple." That was strange…

"There are people who want to see me?" I asked as he nodded.

"A small group of mercenaries seek your audience for a brief moment," he said, "They won't reveal their identities until you have arrived."

"I imagine they must be important," I said, "Welcome them with open arms into the camp and have the group wait at the throne of the Dragon Temple. I have things I would like to do for my beloved before I meet them. It won't be long, thirty minutes max."

"Yes sir!" He and the small group of men made their way towards the entrance of the temple after our short meeting. Even with the war ending, it would appear that I have duties to lead the company the way it was supposed to. However, this sounded a little off the charts: who are the people that wanted to meet me? What purpose do they have in seeing me here? All would be known after Hana and I spent one more moment of privacy together.

Upon walking into the door, the woman of my dreams could be seen sliding her underwear back onto her body, smiling at me as I placed the stuff on our table.

"Good morning Dyru," she told me as I exchanged the same sentence, "How did you sleep?" I walked up to her exposed body and kissed her deeply, grasping her cheeks that I loved very much to make her let out a deep sigh.

"It was the best rest I have ever had in a long time," I answered as she giggled.

"I wonder why…," the woman teased as we continued exchanging saliva. I almost wanted to go again, she was beautiful with her yukata and other clothing, but she was just as much when her body was exposed to me. I carried her by her cheeks to our bed and sat on it, kissing her deeply and lovingly while one of my hands climbed up her backside. Her hair veiled our faces while we exchanged essences once more, leaning back while I cradled her soft silky cheeks in my grasp, forcing her to let out a slight moan at the same time. "I may be a full-fledged samurai, but being in your arms has turned me into a woman who yearns for affection only you can give…"

"You make me this way," I commented, "I have never felt more complete in my life." I almost wanted to have her in such a way again, so much that I already made the attempt to lick her already-hardened nipples. She accepted, she wanted to go further, and I wouldn't let the pleasure get away. I lied her body down on the bed and moved my hips against hers, causing the woman to moan yet again when she could feel me. However, there was only so much I could do before I realized the group had been waiting for me. "I want to keep going…I truly do, but we actually have business to take care of." She kissed me again and smiled.

"It's OK," she commented with a blush, "Because of you, I am…sore in particular areas." I picked her back up and placed the goddess on her feet, helping her get dressed for the morning meeting. After prepping our breakfast, I discussed with her the mysterious people who came to see our family. She was intrigued yet weary about it: if they wanted to see our family, which meant we would have to go and pick up Kana, then it must've been truly important. Although, this would mean they would want to see Angie as well, however she took off with Silas back to Nohr for important reasons they could not speak about. Respecting her privacy, I obliged and gave her my best wishes. Hana didn't feel it was safe to meet these people alone, and though I could take care of myself, I honestly agreed. I didn't want to put my wife and my daughter in danger, but they have been with me through everything on the battlefield and have placed the most trust into them. They were my family after all.

Kana was extremely tired when the two of us went to get her from Selkie's. They were trying to sew a hat she could wear to protect her ears from the harsh rainstorms we usually get around here, but judging by all the trashed up yarn that was piled in the corner, it wasn't too much of a success. Orochi wasn't happy at all, but Kaden found this to be quite hilarious. And it wasn't like he didn't enjoy such a large pile: he was practically rolling in it when we peeked through the doorway! After we exchanged our apologies to them, we made way towards the throne's stairway. The two guards were weary of the three character's actions, they were very different than I thought they were. Two of them were most familiar to me, however the last one I may have only seen once. The first one was a man with short silver hair, literally the same hairstyle as mine was, bearing soft brown eyes and a handsome complexion. He wore the outfit of a squire: a royal cloth that broke into four long pieces covering the front and back of his legs. The seams on the outside of these strips were of golden thread that glistened in the sun, black leggings underneath them to compliment the boots he wore with multiple straps. The belt he wore around his waist held the outfit together it seemed, and above his small piece of chest armor was a blue cape that draped down his back, the inside seems bathed in crimson red. Adorned this cape was a red brooch that glittered like a ruby. He wore short blue pauldrons on both shoulders, and to finally complete his interesting appearance, two long fingerless gloves that reached to his elbows. As for the second mercenary, it was a woman with crimson red hair tied into two side ponytails trailing down to her hips, even her eyes were that of her hair color. She wore a tan corset that covered her black shirt underneath, completed with red straps that trailed down to her utility belt which contained a hunting dagger, canteen, and jewelry. The corset extended to just above her hips, exposing much of her legs which were covered with black leggings, leaving her undergarments exposed. It became apparent to me that she was wearing a jumpsuit of some sort underneath the corset, and wore armor from her kneecaps down to her silver sandals. She also wore fingerless gauntlets like the man I saw, and laced to her back was a crimson sheath containing her blade which was longer than the one the other man had. Unlike the other visitor, she wore only one red pauldron on the left shoulder, becoming apparent that you could only get such pauldrons from Nohr. As I mentioned before, these two looked familiar compared to the other man who was…much taller and muscular compared to them. He had short blond hair combed back into a neat streak and had the bluest eyes I had ever witnessed in my lifetime, and a firm facial expression that made him appear he was not of this country. His smile was epic, nearly resembling of a super hero who could do anything they wanted. His arms were thick, harder than a rock, I couldn't even imagine what his chest looked like if he ripped through his clothes. Speaking of which, both of his arms were exposed and his clothes were…slightly tacky. However, I learned why they were like this in the long run: it was to help his battling style, and upon witnessing it in the future, it would be the most formidable I've seen in a long time. To begin, he wore a red cape that was slightly tattered at the bottom, complete with a thick blue shirt tied up in multiple belts that ran across his chest in an X formation. He wore one blue pauldron like the girl's, and on that same left arm he wore a little piece on his wrist. Fingerless gauntlets were on both of them, and his pants were pulled up to his stomach tied by a brown belt with a golden buckle. Strapped to back of his legs were the same colored pieces of armor the pauldron was, guard leggings complete with a big set of brown boots. Kana gazed in awe at his appearance.

"Wh-Whoa….," she spoke, "That man is…HUGE!" If that could be an understatement, I would've made a comment to this, but really, huge was the best way to describe him. The man's reaction was not really…expected.

"H-Hey!" he exclaimed, "That's not very nice!" Kana gasped in fear and hid behind the two of us, leaving Hana to massage the hilt of her katana as he boomed such words from his mouth. The girl turned to face him.

"Oh SHUT UP ARTHUR!" she retorted, "You are a huge man, get over it! Anybody in this town would think so after taking a look at you and running the other direction!" Her voice was rather stern and harsh, yet at the same time I couldn't help but think such things would complement her outfit: A beautiful woman with a sassy attitude. Seemed to go hand in hand.

"Please, excuse my colleagues here," the gent in blue spoke, "They're rather cranky after we lost our way." Now it was apparent: these two were extremely familiar to me compared to the big man who I've only seen once.

"Wait," I spoke, "Are you…are you who I think you are?" The man laughed gently to my words.

"Right you are," he answered, "I just look like the Hero King is all, I found his outfit to be quite flexible with my quick feet on the line of battle."

"Who are you?" Hana questioned, "And what business do you have with Lord Dyru?" The man smiled at her.

"My, my," he said with his head tilted, "You are everything the guards described: a beautiful, vibrant young woman filled with life. Perhaps we can discuss our business here over a cup of tea-OUCH! H-Hey! Let go of me!" The girl pulled the man by his ear and lured him over to the big man who I assumed was Arthur.

"Maybe in another millennium lover boy," the girl harshly affirmed, "Don't you know better than to mess with another man's wife?! Gods, you really are a bellowing idiot aren't you?!" This situation was not helping anything: they still haven't answered my question. Kana came out of hiding and started giggling at the unresolved scene, leaving me to repeat my question, that was, until the girl said something interesting.

"Did you say I was married?" I questioned, "How did you-oh…I guess that was dumb to question huh?" Her answer was different however.

"Lady Camilla said you were," she answered, "I'm surprised you don't remember who we are. You bested me twice on the battlefield, and have trust in the fact that it PISSED me off when I fell to the ground."

"L-Lady Camilla?!" I exclaimed, "Wait a minute, which means…you're one of her retainers! You must be Selena!" She nodded with a fierce cocky smile.

"Damn right," she answered, "And the better of two who she hired off the bat. I'm no sissy, I know how to hold my own in the line of battle." Kana suddenly had stars in her eyes…oh boy.

"L-LADY SELENA?!" she exclaimed, "Oh my gods! I've heard so much about you! I'm one of your biggest fans!"

"KANA!" Hana and I exclaimed as she suddenly flinched.

"I-I'm sorry…it's just…she's so cool and amazing! I heard she took out a fleet of pirates all by herself! Even after she was captured, she swindled every single one of them with her beauty, even the captain!" Selena winked at her words.

"That's right kiddo," she commented, "I'm the best of the best, and you best not forget that!" The two of them giggled together, leaving Hana and I truly stunned. I can't believe Kana knew more about this woman than anybody else. It still begged the question of why they were here however. The man stepped forward with a wink and smiled.

"I am Laslow," he spoke, "You don't know me too well, but I am one of Xander's retainers. It was unfortunate for me to bear witness to his death…however, I am a forgiving man, for after catching the sight of two crushed siblings, I could stand idle no longer." Interesting…

"So you aren't…upset with me?"

"Why should I be?" he questioned, "Do understand that a war is a war. When you swear your life to your liege, you are prepared for anything no matter the cost. When I failed, I feel I could no longer wield my blade despite how many times he told Peri and I to stay behind." I almost wanted to cry when he spoke those words. "In speaking of which, where is your sister? I don't see her here with you…"

"She actually left with Silas to head back to Nohr," I answered, "They didn't tell us why, but it was an important journey."

"Well, that makes it easier on the three of us then!" Laslow exclaimed, "Your family can travel back there with us! When we recruit Angie, we can go on the journey that is worth a trip." Hana stepped in with her hand on the hilt of her blade.

"And what makes you think we'll go with you?" she asked, "As far as we know, you could be assassins who plot to kill us on the way there." The giant man, who we deemed to be Arthur, stepped in.

"Never fear milady!" he exclaimed, "For I, Arthur of the Vanguard Brigade, would never let something happen to your beloved commander and husband!" He seemed much…kinder than before when he boomed words. "None of thee would recognize me, but I am the retainer of the former Princess Elise! After hearing about the good news, I followed these two on their quest for absolute peace for Nohr! I was so touched by their…HEROISM!" Arthur slammed his giant hand on Laslow's shoulder, making the guy flinch but chuckle. "I never saw more compassion in a man who would want to revive his fellow liege from the realms of the afterlife, so I wanted to-" WAIT A MINUTE! DID HE JUST SAY WHAT I THINK HE SAID?!

"Stop!" I screamed, "Did you just…JUST…" Laslow's smile was brighter than ever.

"So you finally realize why we arrived?" he questioned, "I'm glad to see that you share the same compassion for my liege as much as I do. Perhaps now we have convinced you, yeah?" I can't believe it…there was no way…

"…So Xander isn't completely gone after all…," I whimpered, "I…I can't believe it."

"Don't start crying on us now!" Selena exclaimed, "Ugh men are such big babies, I swear to the gods of Nohr. Can't even get Arthur to stop crying the moment tears run down his face."

"But Selena!" he bellowed, "The heart of justice is pure and…and just! How can you not shed a tear at such heroism that courses through the veins of our bodies?! Even Lord Dyru can feel it in his heart, that's why the Hoshidans won the war!" The girl folded her arms and grumbled to herself, Hana turning me to face her.

"Are you OK Dyru?" she asked, "Please don't cry…" Hana knew more than anybody how devastating it was for me to witness Xander accidentally slice his own sister down, how much she begged for him to stop fighting, yet he continued in his pride for Nohr. It was even more devastating for me when Angie appeared before our fallen brother, shedding more tears than even I.

"Papa?" Kana held onto my hand, hugging me as tight as she could when I opened my eye to face Laslow.

"…If there is a way to revive Xander from the dead," I began, "Then that means Azura, Kaze, and Elise can come back too. Is that why I assume Arthur is with you as well?"

"Indeed citizen!" the proud man yelled, forcing Selena to cover her ears, "Effie and I could not live another day without our beloved princess! It crushed her soul to learn of her death by the hands of Xander. This quest is to bring them back so Nohr can finally be at peace with not only Hoshido, but their selves! King Garon was a humungous bastard in my opinion, his rulings were far from the true meaning of justice, and only Xander in Nohr knows of the term more-so than Leo and Camilla! If they didn't agree, we wouldn't be here to this date to bring you back!"

"So they know how to bring back their fallen siblings?" Hana asked as Laslow stepped in.

"In truth," he spoke, "They sent us here to have word with you back at the castle. They have no idea of the advocate who can bring our fallen lieges back from the lands below, or above, however you put it." He held his hand out. "So, are you and your family in for another adventure beyond that of Hoshido and Nohr?" Hana pulled me back a moment.

"Do you really want to do this?" she asked, "It could be a trap, and…we promised to think of what's best for Kana. We can't leave her behind…and she has seen enough bloodshed to last enough lifetimes." Hana's situation was understandable, I promised her a family that never had to fight again unless they had to. If I took the two of them with us, it would object to the promise. At the same time, there was a scar left on Nohr that was thought to never be undone, but after learning there is a way to heal it completely, I couldn't just pass the opportunity up.

What was I going to do…?

 **As I mentioned in the summary, perhaps the story of Fire Emblem Fates isn't exactly over yet despite the death of Xander...**

 **Anywho, what do all of you think?! I hope you really loved this, as I practically poured my heart and soul into this particular chapter mainly because of my dedication to one of my favorite characters of all time, and my waifu :3 After this goes up, there will only be one chapter left ot post! Don't worry, it's not completely over! For there is another story in the works designed by my co-writer and I! I can only hope you truly enjoy it all!**

 **Leave some reviews! I'm dying to know what you're all thinking! :D**


	6. Finale

**WELP! This is it! The final chapter to the Aftermath series!**

 **I can't believe in literally 4 hours that I was able to complete the posting of all this stuff. I really hope it grabs your attention and makes you think about the many outcomes Birthright could have through YOUR imagination! :o**

 **In any case, there are only two characters left in this storyline to mention who helped me defeat the Final Boss: Lord Ryoma and Princess Sakura! :D I won't deny that I had a bit of a hard time writing this one despite me spending so much time with Ryoma, but hey, that's what happens when you work with bland characters and try to recreate them the way Intelligent Systems wanted to! x.x regardless, enjoy the finale!**

Ryoma Sakura

Final Day

Location: Hoshido Capital

"Excellent, milord," Azama commented with a smile, "It appears you have achieved true transcendence of peace and prosperity through the art of meditation! Tell me, how do you feel?" Unveiling my eyes brought the light into the darkness, facing the retainer of my sister with a nod.

"I can't imagine this is what you do from day to day," I answered, "I must say, it's an interesting way for you to find peace." The man chuckled, holding his staff in hand and jingling it softly.

"The waters of rivers can only flow one way," he spoke, "Like you, there are many fish in this river. Only you can choose whether to flow with the current safely or reach your destination losing more scales than you can count." I smiled with my arms folded.

"Your wisdom is as sharp as a well-forged katana Azama," I told him truthfully, "It is a blessing to have you help Hinoka whenever she needs it." I stood strong and helped the monk off the ground, shaking his hand. "It is an honor to call you my brother Azama. You have changed since this war has ended. Tell me, what is it that transformed your demeanor?" The man laughed loudly, keeping his smile on his face afterwards.

"I figured, to be blunt milord, that a lot of people have had enough of my honest feelings!" he answered, "Instead of just stating the obvious, I decided to dedicate to taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. I feel like a better monk with righteous feelings that are true to my heart for doing this, and believe me milord, it won't fade anytime soon."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I'm glad to hear this from you!" I walked the man to the door of my throne room and smiled. "I appreciate your audience with me Azama. You are free to go. I can't wait to try this again tomorrow!" The man bowed before me and nodded.

"It would be a pleasure to reach nirvana with you once more Lord Ryoma," he agreed, "Have a good day!" As the doors closed, I could see my youngest sister walking in with a smile on her face, giggling in a cute manner.

"I take it your meditation went well Brother?" she asked as I made way to my throne.

"It really did. I never got to take time with one of my siblings' retainers and get to know them better. I have to admit that our father chose well." She gave me a hug after saying such things.

"I-I'm really glad to hear it!" She released me and proceeded to open the doors to the balcony of the capital's tower. When we got outside, all we could see were the wonderous plains of all Hoshido, and the nearby villages flourishing in riches from the earth. From the distance, I could see the sakura trees surrounding the Dragon Temple that ran just outside of the capital. Children were playing all around it for the first time in ages after the war ended, true peace and tranquility has finally arrived to Hoshido, just the way it was supposed to be. "It's beautiful…isn't it Brother?" A smile could be felt upon my expression at her words.

"Yes Sakura," I answered, "It is something we can finally admire without chaos or destruction. I don't think we could ask for a better situation for our kingdom." To witness the villagers in harmony in our capital was a wonderful thing, truly something to admire with the war being over. When I turned to my sister, I could see she was observing the skies that were dancing with clouds and the vivid sunlight. Despite such beauty, she was frowning? "Is something the matter Sakura?" She closed her eyes and maneuvered her head downward for a small moment.

"I'm just happy I didn't hinder anyone when we saved this country," she said, "I'm not a very good fighter, and I'm always scared when we go into battle. Truly, I am surprised that I wasn't in the way all the time, always needing rescue, protection…" I placed my hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn to me when I heard her say such…things.

"You have and will never be a hindrance on our small group. In fact, you never were before, during, and after all of this. If we didn't have you, then this territory would've already belonged to Nohr before we could even establish a peace treaty." She still continued to look into my eyes. "Dyru needed us, needed you. He didn't care if you could fight, because he thought of you, of us, as his birthright family. I can't say we have a talented healer in the family that could possibly outmatch your talents…so this should make you realize you are not a burden."

"I suppose you are right," she agreed, "I may not be as strong as all of you, but I'm happy to know the truth if that is something Dyru actually said." The lady was giggling softly, laughing along with her as we continued to admire the view for what seemed like hours. Down below, I could see Takumi ordering soldiers around for the repairs of the damaged town the dark figure ensued upon us when our mother died that day. To think that something like this would be possible without the help of our parents…

"Sir!" A samurai stood strong behind us with a salute and kept his position firm.

"Something the matter?" Sakura was alarmed as was I.

"No problems sir," he answered, "but Lord Dyru and his family has requested an audience with you. He has brought with him some friends who are believed to be from Nohr." I could feel my heart racing. I know the war was over and we established peace with one another, but something in my gut didn't feel right. Sakura however was different in this manner.

"H-Hana is here?!" she exclaimed, "Aww! I want to see their adorable family! I missed her so much!" The girl was practically jumping for joy. "I-I have a gift for their daughter! H-Hold on! I'll go get it!" She took off to the throne room, practically dancing in her movements as she hummed with cheer and joy. Was she…oblivious to the fact that Nohrians were here with our brother? Or am I the only one who seemed to feel cautious about this? I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment.

"S-Sir?" What could they possibly be thinking?

"Allow him passage to my throne," I told the guard, "But have them wait outside for a few moments. I have something I want to take care of before they make their arrival."

"Yes sir!" The guard took off as I turned to face our beautiful capital. I wanted to admire its beauty for a little longer, without worry for what it would ever become. It must be natural to feel this way after the war was over…and I should only be thinking of peace and plenty. Would it fall if I let them in?

…

Sakura stood next to the throne I sat in after I grabbed my Raijinto and placed it on my stand. The guards were awaiting my orders to let them in, aligning myself properly for their arrival. However, I couldn't sit still or comfortably, so I had to lean forward and rest my arms on my knee caps. Sakura was taking note of this.

"A-Are you OK Brother?" she asked me, "You seem to be…weary if I'm not mistaken." I couldn't deny her truthful words.

"I just don't feel comfortable about this..." She touched my shoulder, assuring me that it would be OK and to just relax. Azama's words were coming back to me when we were meditating together. If I was to achieve true nirvana, I would have to relax my inner self and relieve my spirit of any worry or sadness. After getting my composure together, I took a deep breath and gave the command. "Bring them in." The guards nodded and opened the sliding doors slowly, the light from the ceiling shining in on the family that were brought together during the war. Dyru had appeared in his normal samurai outfit he wore alongside Hana and their daughter Kana. Behind them however were the ones I was worried about. One of them was about Dyru's height, a male, a female that was with him was about his height as well, but the man behind them was bigger than all of the people together. The men carried smiles on their face, however, the girl in their group appeared…irritated. Sakura was shaking in anticipation I noticed, and before I could stop her, she immediately took off laughing.

"H-Hana!"

"Sakura!" The girls were blissfully holding one another as Dyru and Kana jumped in, laughing and embracing without hesitation. "Sakura it's so good to see you! I'm sorry it's been awhile!"

"I-I know!" she replied, "How have you been? I know you were a little upset after I relieved you, b-but I only did it for your happiness!" Hana shook her head.

"Oh stop!" she exclaimed, "I'm happier than I ever have been! I'm glad you let me spend some time with my family, but I have to admit I do miss being your retainer…" She smiled at her, so much that I forgot the Nohrians were even there. It was great to bear witness to a happy reunion for the family I care so much about. Too bad only good moments can live so shortly.

"I-I have a gift for you Kana!" Sakura exclaimed, "I forgot to get it because I was so excited about all of you coming over! R-Ryoma, I-I mean Brother! Keep them occupied while I go get it!" She left the room in glee as I turned to face a happy Kana and her wonderful family. Dyru approached the throne and placed himself on one knee. He was silent for a few moments, and suddenly spoke.

"…King Ryoma…" He lowered his head before me, like a knight that glowed with the light from the ceiling. I smiled.

"Stand tall Brother," I commanded, "You can address me as Ryoma. You are family after all." He did so with a smile on his face.

"How does it feel to be king of Hoshido?" he asked, "You must feel relieved that the war is over."

"More so than you know my Brother." I took a glance beyond him and witnessed the three characters batting an eye at me. I was nervous I had to admit, there was a reason they came here. "Dyru…who are these people?"

"O-Oh," he stuttered, "R-Right, I didn't get to them. They are…um…Nohrians. As you know, they hail from Nohr, and they participated in the war against us. I know you're still nervous about them but-"

"Ah but there's no need to be," the man with silver hair interrupted, "We didn't come here to do anything drastic. We just exchanged some information with your commander and we…well…how would you explain it Selena?" The red-headed girl shrugged.

"Why are you asking me?!" she exclaimed, "You had this big plan concocted! How do you expect me to know how to talk to him?!" It was a natural instinct, but I couldn't help it. I was slowly reaching for my sword until his wife held her hand up.

"W-Wait milord," Hana spoke, "Just please hear them out. They have a reason to be here in your presence. It took them some time to talk to us, th-they have good intentions." The ugly side of me was coming out.

"Then let them speak for themselves," I commanded, "If they have business here, then let me hear them swiftly. I'm losing my patience." The silver-haired man stepped forward with a gentleman's bow.

"I'm Laslow," he greeted, "As you already know, I hail from Nohr and a former retainer to the late Prince Xander. I know we've had…some short upcomings with the war and all, but I come here to share no hatred or bewilder myself with vengeful ignorance. My group and I are here in the interest of Dyru and his family." I was intrigued, pulling my hand back to the throne.

"Go on." He nodded swiftly.

"You see, we know more about Dyru than you think we do. Being the retainer of Prince Xander for so long, there are tales I hear of their childhood an-"

"You have no right to speak about such memories in front of me," I told him, "To reminisce about his kidnappings and the late Mikoto passing away due to Garon's plot saddens the hearts of many who had ill bearing towards Lord Dyru and Lady Angie." Dyru stepped in.

"Just relax Brother. I promise you they come here with good intentions. They are not bad people!" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"If they weren't bad people they wouldn't have come here," I corrected, "I shook hands with King Leo on a treaty to Nohr. It didn't require me to trust them right away."

"…B-Brother…" Laslow shook his head.

"I know how it feels to be on your side of the barn Lord Ryoma," he commented, "I've lost people due to war as well, and I ended up fighting with those people all the same. I-" I couldn't hold back. I drew my sword and rushed straight to the man who spoke such things to me, boiling blood coursing through my veins.

"R-RYOMA!" I froze at Dyru's words, the surging power of the blade roaming violently around it as I witnessed…Hana's katana? The tip of my sword was at the neck of Laslow, who stood strong and sweating at my actions. Selena's immediate reaction was to charge towards me, stopped by the big man who tried to keep her in place.

"L-LET ME GO ARTHUR!" she exclaimed, "HE'S GOING TO KILL HIM! DON'T YOU SEE THAT?!"

"You've got to stop fighting me!" the big man retorted, "If you step in now then you're going to destroy our purpose here!" Laslow was glaring at me, his teeth gritting together when Hana was trying to hold her place with the sword in hand. Kana hid behind the man who I assumed was Arthur, whimpering in fear when she held onto him.

"…You've no idea what lost is," I told him in anger, "Even if King Garon was behind our mother's death, he still hailed from Nohr just like the rest of you. For all I know, you could be here to kill Dyru and his family intentionally, take the family I have left away from me. All the same, I cannot and will never trust you or your mercenaries."

"Brother! STOP!" Dyru rushed to…Laslow's aid? "That's the part you don't understand! They were never here to intentionally hurt us! They came here on an important mission to take our family with them! They need our hel-"

"SILENCE!" I screamed in anger, "Whatever it is, they can do it on their own! They don't need you Dyru, they don't need Hana or Kana, they don't need any of us!" I could feel it, the memories of the war flowing through my mind forming pictures of this very man swarming his troops around the war room to kill our brother. I wanted to swing my blade…I had such thoughts to this day ever since I saw him.

"…Though I don't wish to part from my skin," Laslow spoke up, "I can't stand idle and hear you talk low about my friends and I, even if you are king of this land."

"…What did you say?"

"You speak of loss like you are the only one in the world who knows about it Lord Ryoma. Have you any idea the ignorance you utter to me?" He pointed at the girl Arthur was holding tightly. "That girl over there lost her mother to a war that should've never occurred in the first place, the same war that I fought in and lost my mother as well. As tough as we both seemed, you can't place an ounce of a bet that we didn't weep over our losses. Just like you, we bore witness to such heinous crimes around us." He suddenly got a little fierce. "So don't tell me that we don't know what loss is! We are Nohrians at heart but we as just as you would ever be! We did what was necessary to keep our prince alive, and though we failed, that doesn't mean there isn't a way Nohr can heal again! You found your way, with Dyru, a remarkable man who lead his troops well to defeat us when we feuded! If he could help us, then I as well as my friends would be eternally grateful! Now tell me! Do you sense provocation in my tone that would even remotely HINT at this illusion you've concocted that we would kill him?!" Everyone was quiet in the room, only the sounds of lightning emerging from my blade could be heard. The guards in the background to feel were nervous in the situation I…I stupidly placed us in, and I couldn't blame them. I was starting to feel terrible about the things I said. Despite this, I did everything I could to stop them.

"…And you have objections to this Hana?" The girl who held her own against my blade glanced at the floor at my words. Perhaps I could stop her and the family from leaving?

"…I do," she answered, the one thing that gave me hope inside, "…At first."

"…What?"

"We won the war," she continued, "But anyway to the day of worship, the fact remains we destroyed their family. On my honor as a samurai, I vow to protect Lady Sakura and the family from any harm that comes their way, but this doesn't mean in any way that I took joy in taking another warrior's life." She took a deep breath. "But there is another portion of the code that we Hoshidans follow to the end of days, and this is integrity. We cannot ignore what it is in our hearts, whether they seed dark thoughts or sprout blissful light. Dyru promised after the war that we would become a family and spend the rest of our days in peace and plenty…but he has done so much for me already that I cannot be concerned of my own selfish needs. Just as he has helped me…I want to help him…on one last journey to peace. With that being said…I want to go with him, Kana and I will aid Laslow and his friends in any way they need." I…I couldn't believe it. The words she was speaking were as stern as they ever could be, so stern that it left Dyru and I in shock. It couldn't get any worse when our little sister came back into the throne room frozen in fear.

"M-Mama," Kana spoke, "P-Please…p-please don't get hurt!" Dyru rushed to her aid and held her tightly, closing his eye as she sobbed in his tunic.

"W-What is going on here?!" Sakura yelled in horror as I started to sweat, "W-Why is your blade drawn B-Brother?!" This was…a stupid thing of me to do. I composed myself as much as I could, slowly pulling the blade back from Laslow's throat and sheathing it. Hana could be seen doing the same as Arthur placed the fired-up girl back onto the ground.

"…I'm ashamed," I said, "I shouldn't…have reacted in such a way." I made my way back to my throne and sighed. "I'm…sorry Sakura. It appears I'm not ready for this audience as much as I thought I was." Selena rushed to Laslow to check his injuries my sword may have sustained, the man blushing when she was through.

"Don't think I'll do something like that again for you ya lost cause," she spoke as he laughed.

"I don't expect you to, though you did look adorable." She folded her arms when Arthur placed his around Laslow's shoulder. Dyru did the same…to me?

"I understand your side Brother," he said, "I do, but…you have to understand mine. You know how I have always been, trusting people who are really in need or even when they are not. They need me for an important mission: to restore Nohr back to the way it used to be, and believe me brother, there is a way. It sounded suspicious at first, but I truly believe them. They wouldn't waste their time coming here with only three people if they plotted to take us out. You just…have to trust me…OK?" I nodded at his words, keeping myself together without thought of losing a single tear.

"…We've only had you and our sister Angie for a short time," I explained, "To lose you both again…I cannot bear the thought." Sakura stepped in…unexpectedly.

"I have no idea what was going on in here Brother," she started, "B-But whatever it is that is important to Dyru, just…just let him do it. If he didn't care he wouldn't have come here in the first place and just left us…" She was right, I could feel it in my gut that everything was going to be OK despite my suspicions. With this, I sat in my throne and placed the blade back onto my stand. I took a good look at Dyru's smiling face.

"…A quest to restore Nohr?" I asked, "What are you planning to do?" He nodded and explained to me everything there was to know about the situation. Each word that came out of his mouth was more questionable than the last. At one point, I cut him off. "You know I'm very wary about this theory you speak of correct?"

"I know how you feel," he admitted, "I feel the same way, but there is no way to know unless I try. With Xander back at the throne, everyone in Nohr can finally live in peace the way it is supposed to be. We mortally wounded them despite what King Garon did, and I don't feel it should end there permanently. If my brother and sister can live another day with their siblings, then it would really heal me from within…"

"Never fear King Ryoma!" Arthur chimed in, "If the journey is perilous, we will keep your brother and his family protected from any harm! Justice courses through these veins, and justice never lies!"

"Besides, getting to know your brother and his family wouldn't be the WORST thing in the world," Selena added, "He's always bested me in combat and I want to challenge him again soon! I can't live with knowing he was able to defeat me so easily!"

"If this advocate truly exists," Laslow said, "Then I promise you that your mother will be the first person I bring back before milord and your fellow family members. Despite having your sword at my throat, you have my word Lord Ryoma."

"We plan to find a place to settle down after this journey is over," Hana said, "I still feel Dyru can keep his promise, and it would be a heavy burden lifted if I could help him and these guys anyway I can!"

"I will never leave Papa's side!" Kana exclaimed, "I may be a little girl to some but I'm a mighty dragon within! Trouble rarely travels alone, and I'll make sure that trouble leaves my Papa and Mama be!" Sakura was giggling to her words and smiled at me.

"It seems Dyru's family is willing to help him, even the Nohrians have trust in Dyru despite everything that happened. Are you still feeling uncomfortable about this situation?" Despite my suspicions, they all seemed to be smiling together, happy as can be like our family was. He really…wanted to do this, didn't he?

"…You have my blessings."

"R-REALLY?!" Dyru exclaimed, "Y-You're truly OK with this?!" I smiled.

"Of course," I answered, "I was…a brute at first, but Hoshido has their king. It would only be fair if Xander resumed his leadership as well." Sakura gasped.

"O-Oh!" she yelled, "I almost forgot! I meant to give this to you Kana!" She pulled a pillow from the stand that had a white veil on top of it. There was clearly something of importance underneath it, since she was really hyped about giving such a treasure to her.

"W-What is it?!" she exclaimed happily as Sakura giggled.

"You told me the other day you were wanting to be a protector of your family in any way you can," she started, "So I dug around my room and I found these…" When she took the veil off, she revealed two small golden balls with a red glittering orb inside of them. The golden portions of the objects were rings; you could stick your hand inside and touch the red orb. I knew what these were: our father kept one for me when I was old enough to use it.

"Oh wow!" she gasped in awe, "Wh-What is that?! It looks so pretty!"

"If your heart is truly aligned with your words and thoughts, then this object will grant you the power that you seek," she answered, "That is why they call these Heart Seals. I have one for you as well Hana. These will save your lives one day, I feel it in my soul that you will need this if you are planning to leave soon. I wanted to give them to you as a gift for your household, but now I see that you will need these more than ever." Hana and Kana were excited when they took these objects and cheered happily together, bringing another smile to my face.

"Th-Thank you Sakura!" Hana said, "I promise that we'll use these if we ever get into a scramble with baddies! I promise!" Before I knew it, the sun had already began to set in the distance outside of the tower. I was happy to give this order, feeling relief once I did.

"Laslow and his friends are more than welcome to stay here for the night," I commanded, "Have the guest rooms at the Dragon Temple ready for them before nightfall. If they plan to leave immediately, I imagine they will do so at first light." I faced the man who was dedicated to helping their new friends. "I have a gift for you as well since you plan on leaving tomorrow. I want you to have it before you go, but I will present it to you first thing in the morning." He smiled at my words.

"…Yes Brother…"

 **And THERE IT IS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! That was the finale of the Birthright Route's Aftermath, according to MY gameplay! I really hope you enjoyed it! There is more to come, as this story is sort of like an in-between sequence (for an example, if this story was a Kingdom Hearts one, this aftermath would be known as "Chain of Memories")**

 **Anywho, comments? Reviews? I really hope you liked it! As I said, poured my soul into this aftermath and honestly, I planned on doing a Conquest Aftermath. Would anyone perhaps be interested in that? :o**

 **See you in the next one everyone!**


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